I hope this doesn't sound petty, because it actually could be a bigger issue and factor where I live. Have you ever had a bug problem on a course? If so, how did you handle it? I know everywhere has bugs, that's not what I mean. I live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and we don't have bugs. We have these modified, bionic hybrid versions of bugs. There are some courses here I won't play until fall, just because of the bug issues.
We have a great location for an excellent course, and the county is about to start working on it. I drove through the area, and my truck was swarmed with deer flies. I know SC is known for it's bug problems, but I didn't know if you had run into this before. If not, they may just have to sell Deet at the rec center. A bug spray vending machine! lol What are your thoughts?
Funny you should ask, Russ, because I just came back from working on a very buggy course.
By the way, it's good to be back, and I'm sorry I've been away from DGCR for so long. Thanks for hanging in there, everyone.
I've been in (on?) Prince Edward Island the last couple weeks, working on what is going to be an absolutely amazing course. I'm very excited about it, and there are several holes there that will be relevant to some of the things we're talking about here. In particular, I got to spend some quality time working on the question of what it takes to make a great par five.
There were also a LOT of bugs in certain areas. There were a few spots where I was just about swarmed with mosquitoes and black flies. Enough that I got several stuck in my eye, if that helps you gauge the density. Surprisingly, they weren't biting, for the most part -- I have no idea how to explain that, other than they'd never seen a human before. That shouldn't have stopped them.
So what do you do? First, I guess you hope that opening an area up, mowing it, and helping it dry up will reduce the population of flying insects. If that doesn't help, and if some areas are too unpleasant to play, I would consider routing the course away from those areas, just as you would with boggy areas, areas with thorny plants, very rocky areas, or dangerous areas.
As for the new course you're talking about, if the bugs are just everywhere, what options are left, other than not putting in the course? At some point you just have to deal with what you have, and players will have to choose whether or not to come out and use it.
The worst bug situation I ever dealt with was in Port Arthur, Texas, site of the PDGA Pro Worlds in 1994 and '95. On my initial trip there to work on the first course (which ultimately became known as Berry's Treasure), I got to the back of the property and took a step that brought up a cloud of something, like a cloud of dust or dirt, but it was actually a cloud of mosquitoes. It was crazy. The course was pretty much unplayable unless the plane came over the island and sprayed the mosquitoes. Without that plane, we never could have had a tournament there. Of course, there was at least one player who wouldn't come because of all the pesticide, but so far just about everyone who played there seems to still be more-or-less normal.
The deer flies on the old ball golf course there could be pretty nasty, too, but only in certain shady spots.
The bottom line: in course design, as in life, you make the best of the hand you've been dealt. With your new course, you may find a new definition for the phrase "itching to play." You may also be able to raise record amounts of money for course improvements from deet sales. In any case, I wish you good luck.
Thanks,
John
