i really dont like golf....

[david gibson]

my motto is "golf is for weenies that cant surf or ride a mountain bike"


but - the golf course 1/4 mile from my house closed down 2 years ago - even better, the subdivision homeowners restrictions mandate that the land be used for golf course or other green space until 2018. so while it is tied up in the courts it makes for awesome training grounds as long as gunfire is not involved. the grass is overgrown perfectly, sand traps and ponds abound for diversions and obstacles. fairways make for nice long retrieving corridors, and roughs and woods great for casting into at angles.

i am a bit concerned about the ponds, but i guess they are fine just for swimming. years ago i used to slip in at a key location around dusk and run a couple of quick water marks then leave before being noticed. there are odd shapes for multiple water entries as well as nice little onse for swim-byes. i know people that caught bass out of them a few years back none had 3 eyes- but they still didnt eat them. anyone else use golf course ponds for training?

[Bob Gutermuth]

I would be worried about all the chemicals that had been used to keep the grass really green and the ponds free of algae and such.

[david gibson]

I would be worried about all the chemicals that had been used to keep the grass really green and the ponds free of algae and such.

thats why i am a bit hesitant, but fertilizer is just nitrogen, phosphorus and iron, if too much nitrogen it goes anaerobic - and no fish can survive; but bass and ducks and wild wading birds seem to thrive, and its been 2 years since they have put anything out. since they know people fish in it, you would think that if it were dangerous they would have warning signs...any "legal" herbicides/pesticides should have long passed several half-lives....

i guess i should go by at night and see if the ducks and waders are glowing??

[Bob Gutermuth]

I'd be thinking about grabbing some soil and water samples and having them tested.

[david gibson]

I'd be thinking about grabbing some soil and water samples and having them tested.

kinda pricey, $500+ per sample.
probably keep the pup out of it for a while, but remember, people have been living next door to these ponds for decades and i havent seen any 3-legged kids yet.

cant be any worse than goose/duck hunting ponds in the rice and peanut farms around here that get aerially dusted several times a year...

[K G]

kinda pricey, $500+ per sample.
probably keep the pup out of it for a while, but remember, people have been living next door to these ponds for decades and i havent seen any 3-legged kids yet.

cant be any worse than goose/duck hunting ponds in the rice and peanut farms around here that get aerially dusted several times a year...

The next obvious question is, are there "No Trespassing" signs around?

kg

[david gibson]

The next obvious question is, are there "No Trespassing" signs around?

kg

moi?? pay attention to "no trespassing" signs??

there are, but since there has been no golf for 2 years, so they dont pay for security on the course - that would be too costly for a business with negative revenue already. there are no assets out on the course so they dont care; they just guard the former country club.

remember houston is f-l-a-t. another nice aspect is the man-made hills, providing nice slope diversions....

[freebird]

Iam a golf pro. You should have no problems with anything thats in the water. Train my dogs for over 20yrs in many different golf course ponds. Besides if the course has been closed for 2yrs no worries. And Dave be careful about saying golf is for weenies when you put up surfing and mountain biking (wich both sound a little gay).

[david gibson]

Iam a golf pro. You should have no problems with anything thats in the water. Train my dogs for over 20yrs in many different golf course ponds. Besides if the course has been closed for 2yrs no worries. And Dave be careful about saying golf is for weenies when you put up surfing and mountain biking (wich both sound a little gay).

hey hey hey - surfers and mountain bikers dont wear those sissy little visors like golf pro's and Bob Stoops...

thanks for your valuable and spot-on input!!!

[JeffLusk]

how many surfers/mtn bikers make as much as tiger in a year???

I rest my case.