Abandoned Lots/golfcourses

[Ernst.Neering at STAFF.TPE.WAU.NL]

I also used to have the impression that golfcourses were a waste of grounds 
but was told by a collegue entomologist (and I think this is correct) that 
they are used more intensively than most other outdoors sport accomodations. 
This because people use them all days of the week, not only for one or a few 
matches and some trainings per week.

80 people for 10 hours each day of the week on dozens of acres of varied 
vegetation (grass and trees, etc.) or 18 people on 1 acre of trodden grass 
and sand surrounded by buildings and structures for a few times per week. 
Which is better?

Also the users of golf courses are so much quieter (outside the big 
tournaments) so nature often develops well on golf courses, (of course not 
near the holes where the grass is trimmed so often) but surrounding the 
greens there can be quite a diverse vegetation with all its inhabitants. I 
would like to hear how other people think about this.

Regards,
Ernst Neering


On Friday, June 5, 1998, Michael Gochfeld wrote:
>There have been several evocative accounts of the destruction of 
>"abandoned lots".  The fact that residential/commercial development has 
>priority with landowners is not surprising and is one problem.  Our 
>planning board says their hands are tied by zoning ordinances and that 
>they can not deny "permitted" development, just because no one living in 
>the community wants it to happen. 
>
>On the other hand the conversion of public land to ball fields and golf 
>courses is something that should be slowed.  Although I can understand 
>golf, it seems that in terms of density of use per acre, it is an 
>extremely wasteful sport. 
>
>A baseball field is about an acre and 18 people can use it at once. Golf 
>courses cover dozens of acres and only about 80 people can use it at 
>once (4-somes at each of 18 holes).  But in both cases the habitat 
>management is hardly conducive to wildlife and other forms of 
>recreation. 
>
>There have been a few attempts to quantify the commercial value of 
>nature-recreation (bird watching, particularly) but it's clear that 
>although there are probably as many active nature-watchers as golfers or 
>baseball players, we don't represent a constituency. 
>
>....... 
>
>Mike Gochfeld
>
>-- 
>Michael Gochfeld
>EOHSI--Piscataway, NJ 08854
>"gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu"
>