Golf courses are beautiful places. We all recognize their beauty. There are open spaces, most often abundant trees and shrubs, not to mention all sorts of animals, birds and sometimes fish to appreciate.
However, it isn’t just their beauty and the challenge of the game which draws us to the golf course. Man has always craved being in the open grasslands that are peppered with trees (the savannah). This is where he hunted and gathered; where he gained his very sustenance. Humans are hard-wired to feel at home on ground that resembles our golf courses.
With broad, open vistas from high points that give us a grand feeling, to the hollows and sheltered areas that give us security and sense of human scale, a great golf course gives us the gamut of human emotions.
Another source of satisfaction that a golf course can provide is that it serves as great habitat for flora and fauna. Courses are often sanctuaries for birds and small animals. Naturally-occurring trees or those that are planted thrive in their protected and nurtured environment.
At times you may have wished you knew more about the various species of trees, animals and birds that are present. There may be other members like yourself who wish to know more about such subjects and who might enjoy having a handy reference guide to enable them to get better informed about the natural beauty that surrounds our game.
It is our belief that members of private golf courses, who play numerous times at the same club, would benefit greatly by knowing more about their surroundings... the more they know about their Club the more love and appreciation they will have for it. Hence, the Private Golf Club Field Guide was developed.
The purpose of this field guide is to help the reader to better appreciate the wide variety of flora and fauna at their beloved Club. Most Private Golf Clubs are truly blessed with their location, topography, climate and vegetation as it supports a wide variety of animals, birds and trees.
The guide is laid out as a walking tour of the course with significant specimens of each species of tree called out as the tour progresses. For the most part, animals are featured in the guide on the hole which they are likely to be seen.
Each page, with exception of those dedicated to animals, has a hole layout with a red asterisk locating the tree featured on that page. An arrow depicts the location from which the tree is viewed.
The format of this guide is meant to be of a style and size that an interested reader could keep it in their golf bag for a quick reference. This could be especially helpful since many birds are migratory and may not be seen the first few times the reader leafs through the pages. The same is true of the seasonal nature of the trees, many of which are deciduous.
The creator of the Field Guide is someone who is uniquely qualified to do such a task. Gary Wishon, PGA is a 35 year member of the Professional Golfer's Association of America. He is an accomplished teacher and player of the game who has worked at both private and public facilities.
In addition to his broad range of experience in the golf profession, Gary is also a trained landscape architect having earned his BS degree (cum laude) in Landscape Architecture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1999.
Gary has produced golf-themed artwork and portraiture which has been well-received commercially. The Field Guide represents the culmination of his broad range of skill and experience. The Field Guide is a volume that any member would be proud to own and share.
This beautifully bound, 100 page hardcover
Field Guide was produced for the prestigious
Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, CA.
(Approximate size 5" x 8")
For information on providing a Field
Guide for your Private Golf Club contact:
Gary Wishon, PGA
562.522.8016
wishonpga@gmail.com
