SHIVER ME TIMBERS

There’s a new eighteen hole golf facility in our home town of Milton Keynes.

We haven’t heard of any environmental groups objecting to the construction of this new, exciting facility. Nor have there been any reports of cheesy visits from the blazers at the governing bodies of golf.

The course offers some usual challenges and very reasonable green fees.

Unlike the new Trump course in Aberdeenshire, scallywag’s will only be charged £4.50 and stowaways can play for free.

An R&A whistleblower told Golf Refugees it was unlikely to be considered for major championships.

Still a great place to take the kids and the young at heart.

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SARAH LUND'S JUMPER

I like watching those Scandinavian detectives, from Wallander to Danish crime drama ‘The Killing’. 

They look great, beautifully shot.

No surprise to learn that Sarah Lund's character, a detective in Copenhagen’s homicide department, has set a fashion trend for her jumpers.

The classic cream & navy chunky-knit are made by knitwear specialists Gudrun & Gudrun from the Faroe Islands; 18 tiny islands situated in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Norway.

Natural oils in the organic wool make it water resistance and self-cleaning.

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NEW BROOM

Apparently these broom-handled putters are all the rage.

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THE GOLF GIRL

Golf needs Golf Girls.
Golf Refugees are happy to invite the original Golf Girl; Patricia Hannigan, famous for blogging in her bikini, to share with us her views on the ‘perception of the perfect golf course’.
Naturally we’re big fans.

The golf/real estate boom ... the one that ultimately turned into an unsustainable bubble and ended in the current economic downturn... created the expectation that a golf course, even a public or municipal course, would always be manicured and landscaped to an over-the-top, state of perfection. The Trump courses are the epitome of this, and sadly, they've set a standard. The fact is, these days many American guys expect to play on courses that emulate this standard, and they complain…loudly… when a course is left more "natural". They've convinced themselves that at such courses they'll play badly... because the conditions are not up-to-par, ie. Trump standards/PGA Tournament standards. The thing is…these guys are simply your average recreational players. Their expectations have gotten totally out of control.

Add to that the fact that a huge percentage of our "core golfers" come from a demographic... wealthy, white, US, male, republican, age 40 - 60... that categorically denies the existence of global warming and feels that anything labeled "green" is ridiculous and a passing fad.

This makes me feel that much of the talk about environmental stewardship in golf course design & maintenance is simply a disingenuous attempt to "appease the 'crazy environmentalists' out there".

Of course there are many who care deeply about the environment, particularly those in a younger demographic...the potential golfers of the future …but even if they're attracted to golf, they won't want to take up a sport that's perceived as "anti-green" and bad for the environment... Some course owners/developers understand this are striving to actually design and maintain courses in an ecologically sound way... but in many cases those course are struggling. Justin Timberlake is one high-profile example. He's put his heart and soul ... not to mention a massive amount of his own money into creating an environmentally friendly golf course, but many complain that it's not manicured enough.

Golf... particularly over here in the US… is in a tough position because of a generational shift. In order to keep their core golfers from straying to other courses, the owners need to keep their own courses looking like Augusta National... on steroids. At the same time these owners must know that future generations are not going want to take up a "clueless, old guy's game".

You can read more blogs from The Golf Girl;  

http://www.thegolfgirl.blogspot.com

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STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

Jeans are still banned from most golf courses, we are not sure why?
You have pro golfers dressed from head to toe in orange and this is meant to be the height of style and fashion.
But should golf courses still ban jeans of ‘style and substance’, which could purify the air as you play a round of golf?

Imagine the scene. You watch as the Range Rovers and BMW’s pollute there way into the members car park. Instead of wearing the usual checkered slacks, golfers pull on a pair of ‘catalytic-clothing’ jeans in an effort to redeem their green credentials.

Inventor Prof. Tony Ryan of Sheffield University’s faculty of science claims they could help combat the harmful emissions released by vehicle exhausts. They could take half a gram of nitrous oxide out of the environment a day. That means one million golfers could take half a ton, and that does start to make a difference.

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INSIDE OUT

Some of the coolest features of our 2012 range are on the inside.

http://www.golf-refugees.com

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NUMBER TWOS

Have any golf courses introduced compost loos for their members? 

If your course is lucky enough to have either famous golfers or hold major tournaments. Not only will they be walking the fairways and greens, their waste can be recycled to help grow and maintain the course.

A good example would be Poulter’s poo sprayed over the fairways at Woburn Golf & Country Club.

What could be better than that?

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