Articles for growing the game
I am part of a communications committee initially organized by the Golf Association of Michigan that also includes the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, the Michigan PGA, Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, Michigan Women's Golf Association, and numerous golf writers, radio hosts and TV hosts that have golf shows.
The mission of this group is to: Promote and communicate the game of golf in Michigan.
We are planning to develop a series of packaged golf stories for the state-wide print media and some out-of-state print outlets, as well as in-state and out-state TV and radio outlets. These stories will span the range of golf to include the exercise benefits, the economic impact, the game itself, turf and environmental issues, junior, women and senior golf, and any other topics and features that might interest the average golfer and the new golfer.
I have been asked to solicit and develop the turf-related articles for this effort, so I want to ask any golf course superintendents that may have developed articles of general interest for their players or members to contribute to this effort. The articles should be about 300 words long, of general interest to the new or average golfer, or the person that may be interested in taking up the game. They can be facts about turf, your job, the environment, the business of golf, and can also address lawn care relative to what the golfer sees on the course i.e.) Why can’t I mow my lawn like the fairway?
Here are some other topic areas we discussed as a committee or ideas that I think might be of interest:
Talk about jobs in golf – what does a golf course superintendent do?
Should divots be replaced, filled with sand, or left alone?
What’s below the ground – golf green construction?
The top five (or 10) things that golfers do that hurt the course.
Remember when …. (metal spikes, no golf carts, shagging your own range balls)
Water quality.
Wildlife on golf courses (bird surveys, reptiles and amphibians, etc.)
What’s the cost to build a golf green, tee, etc?
What kind of equipment does a golf course use – what’s the value of it?
Why can’t I play when there’s frost?
Green speed.
Marking the course.
Do carts speed up play – do they damage the course?
How often do you – mow greens, water the course, mow fairways, rake a bunker?
Setting up a course for a tournament – why can’t it always be that way?
Stories can be facts and figures, human interest, historical, humorous or inspirational. Just remember your audience and the word count. Articles should be sent to me via e-mail (grassroots@voyager.net). Our first batch is due April 10, 2006. Tonia Branch from GAM will be working with some professional journalists to edit submissions and determine headlines, so you need not be a Pulitzer Prize winner to contribute. They’ll make you sound great!
Thanks,