Golf's Water Hog Reputation... And Its Little Known Green Side

Not surprisingly, when the subject is water usage, golf often finds itself on the defensive.

In communities where water is scarce, the perception of lush emerald fairways and perfectly verdant greens... maintained at great cost for an elite few... often strikes residents as a frivolous allocation of this most vital resource.

Whether the cause of a water shortage is prolonged drought or rapid population growth... or whether there even is a water shortage in a particular area... golf courses are seen by many as the consummate water hogs.  And golfers, by association, are looked upon as self-indulgent, inconsiderate, porcine primadonnas.  Not a flattering image, to say the least.

However as Attaya Anthony points out in a recent article in the Sun Sentinel, many golf courses are actually helping to replenish drinking water.  It's a fascinating piece that highlights the role of turf grass as a natural filtration system ...and the thing is, this is just one of numerous environmental benefits a golf course can provide when managed with sustainability in mind. As more golfers are educated to these facts, the hope is that they'll support those with an eco-friendly focus, and the sport's water hog reputation will ...pardon the pun ...no longer hold water.

TOMI OTEE - Style Meets Sustainability in a Very Distinctive Golf Shirt

Polo style golf shirts, it's fair to say, have become ubiquitous.

They're worn by men, women and children in the cities and suburbs of just about every country on earth.   They come in a plethora of colors and prints, and these days they're likely to be made in some sort of lightweight, moisture-wicking performance fabric.

I own several dozen golf shirts, most of which I rarely, if ever, wear. Then there are the few I put on all the time. These are the ones in the colors I love...  that fit just right.  They're the rare gems, and at this point my small, coveted collection is somewhat worse-for-the-wear.

Several weeks ago however, I came upon a couple of golf shirts that have categorically... and very quickly... become my favorites.

The company that makes these stellar shirts is TOMI OTEE, an enterprise with a vision that goes well beyond the attractive, innovative shirts they've created. I met the founder of TOMI OTEE, Thomas Ferré earlier this year in New York City where he'd recently been selected to receive the prestigious French-American Entrepreneurship Award.

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