I have played golf. Quite a few times in fact. I think I even own a bag. Unfortunately my attention span doesn't last longer than a few holes and a mad dash in the golf cart.
As you can imagine, the skill level at the TPC River Highlands was monumentally different from my own. Once a year or so I head out the the golf course with Hubby as a wifely duty. He lets me drive the cart (much more fun than a car), reviews the rules and doesn't freak when I "take off" holes.
My biggest tip, if you must attend an all-day golf tournament on a hot summer day and you are not a die-hard fan, is meeting someone with a luxury box. Hubby's company had this elevated, roofed area complete with an always changing buffet, open bar and all of the snickers you could eat. Once I saw that luxury box, my day completely turned around.
My first drink of the day was a diet soda. After watching grass grow for the past two hours I needed a pick-me-up. (Don't fret, the pomegranate martinis weren't far behind) The bartender asked me to kindly reuse my cup for the sake of the planet. This statement made my Gruppie senses tingle. Were the cups made of biodegradable corn perhaps? Had I stumbled onto a greener sport than I had thought?
It turns out that the cups were of the plain old polluting variety. The friendly bartender explained that someone did a study of cup use at these large events and found that each patron was disposing of ten cups.
Ten cups each? So was the event really just trying to save money and had the perfect cover with the recent "green fad?" Maybe helping the planet was just a happy side effect. My take on the situation was money. Money, money, money rules the world. Those cups must add up. Only the icing was green.
Golf has always struck me as a sport that is tough on the environment. Bazillions of tons of pesticides. Lots more water usage. All that mowing. And those itchy collared shirts....don't get me started.
With hubby loving golf and holding tight to the dream that we will retire on the edge of a golf course someday, I have set out in the search of green golf courses.
Audubon International certifies courses that provide wildlife sanctuaries for animals. Nice. But what about the pesticides and water use? Through Google I was able to find low-impact courses in New York, Yosemite National Park and another in Hawaii. Why is Connecticut so far behind on trends? Did I mention my neighbor who wears the Starter jacket?
Hopefully by retirement time we will be able to live on an organic golf course together. If Hubby gets golf can I get my own cabana boy?
1 comment:
I agree -- money does rule the world. However, I'm more than happy to reap the benefits of having people make greener choices in order to save money. A recession will do that to you!
Post a Comment