Comments on: Why I worry about golf balls on Gabriola beaches http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/ Gabriola Island blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:54:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-21228 Gabriolan Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:55:53 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-21228 Below Horseshoe -- That's alarming. I thought it was just the one waterfront golfer. Now we know of two waterfront golfers driving balls into the sea, and the Horseshoe engineer driving balls off the cliff. And yes, what about the people, dogs, horses, and deer below the cliff? Below Horseshoe — That’s alarming. I thought it was just the one waterfront golfer. Now we know of two waterfront golfers driving balls into the sea, and the Horseshoe engineer driving balls off the cliff. And yes, what about the people, dogs, horses, and deer below the cliff?

]]> By: Below Horseshoe http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-21221 Below Horseshoe Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:45:50 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-21221 Hey, Gabriolan, I don't know how many of these people there are, but I certainly know of a retired engineer (and probably his wife) on Horseshoe who love to drive balls from their lawn off of the cliff. Yes, birds and ocean are a big concern, but what about the kids and others in the Sandwell parking lot?! Hey, Gabriolan, I don’t know how many of these people there are, but I certainly know of a retired engineer (and probably his wife) on Horseshoe who love to drive balls from their lawn off of the cliff. Yes, birds and ocean are a big concern, but what about the kids and others in the Sandwell parking lot?!

]]> By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-21121 Gabriolan Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:03:47 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-21121 Gosh, Sue, that's alarming. Do you think your golfing neighbour thinks about what happens to those golf balls? I'd love to show her the pictures of the birds. Gosh, Sue, that’s alarming. Do you think your golfing neighbour thinks about what happens to those golf balls? I’d love to show her the pictures of the birds.

]]> By: Sue http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-21120 Sue Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:25:49 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-21120 My neighbour two doors down on Berry Pt. Rd. drives golf balls into the ocean regularly. One day I had to duck as the sun was in her eyes and she didn't see me walking on the beach nor did she hear me yell. My neighbour on the other side loves collecting the golf balls when she's out snorkelling. The pictures of the birds are very distressing. My neighbour two doors down on Berry Pt. Rd. drives golf balls into the ocean regularly. One day I had to duck as the sun was in her eyes and she didn’t see me walking on the beach nor did she hear me yell. My neighbour on the other side loves collecting the golf balls when she’s out snorkelling. The pictures of the birds are very distressing.

]]> By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20604 Gabriolan Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:54:36 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20604 Stetler -- I don't know if golf balls float or not, though a quick peek at a google search for <em>floating golf balls</em> seems to indicate that some golf balls float. I don't know how these particular balls move up and down Gabriola beaches, but I don't think the golfer is strolling along the shore. From what I heard, it's more like he's standing at the edge of his property and thwacking balls out into the sea. I'm sure golfers have a more impressive term than <em>thwacking</em>, though. Stetler — I don’t know if golf balls float or not, though a quick peek at a google search for floating golf balls seems to indicate that some golf balls float. I don’t know how these particular balls move up and down Gabriola beaches, but I don’t think the golfer is strolling along the shore. From what I heard, it’s more like he’s standing at the edge of his property and thwacking balls out into the sea.

I’m sure golfers have a more impressive term than thwacking, though.

]]> By: Stetler http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20599 Stetler Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:33:39 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20599 Do golf balls float? I don't think they do. But I've also found balls all along the north-side beaches. They must roll along the bottom somehow - or the golfer must stroll along the shore. Do golf balls float? I don’t think they do. But I’ve also found balls all along the north-side beaches. They must roll along the bottom somehow – or the golfer must stroll along the shore.

]]> By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20502 Gabriolan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:03:00 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20502 Oh, Andrea! Thanks so much. You're a very handy encyclopedia. :-) Oh, Andrea! Thanks so much. You’re a very handy encyclopedia. :-)

]]> By: Andrea http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20499 Andrea Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:43:43 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20499 You might also mention to golfer guy that his golf balls take 100-1000 years to decompose and while decomposing they release toxic heavy metals, especially zinc, but also tungsten, cobalt and lead. These metals get into the sediment and can poison local fauna and flora. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/11/04/littering.golf.balls/ Dumping golf balls into the sea is specifically prohibited under an international convention called MARPOL V (International convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) that addresses the problem of marine litter. I think the MARPOL is only binding on dumping of litter into the ocean from ships, but ethically it seems to me that people on shore should be held to the same if not higher standards. There are apparently special biodegradable golf balls that have been developed for driving into the ocean. (May I get ahead of you, gabriolan.ca, and say "who knew" at this juncture? :) http://www.ecogolfballs.com/ You might also mention to golfer guy that his golf balls take 100-1000 years to decompose and while decomposing they release toxic heavy metals, especially zinc, but also tungsten, cobalt and lead. These metals get into the sediment and can poison local fauna and flora.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/11/04/littering.golf.balls/

Dumping golf balls into the sea is specifically prohibited under an international convention called MARPOL V (International convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) that addresses the problem of marine litter. I think the MARPOL is only binding on dumping of litter into the ocean from ships, but ethically it seems to me that people on shore should be held to the same if not higher standards.
There are apparently special biodegradable golf balls that have been developed for driving into the ocean. (May I get ahead of you, gabriolan.ca, and say “who knew” at this juncture? :)
http://www.ecogolfballs.com/

]]> By: Gabriolan http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20460 Gabriolan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:45:00 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20460 Thanks, Clive -- that does indeed look like a golf ball in the fifth photo, and I'd missed that. I'll mention all this to the sea-side golfer guy, if I ever meet him. I have no idea who he is. I'm hoping that one of his neighbours might see this and have a chat with him, but that's rather a long shot. Thanks, Clive — that does indeed look like a golf ball in the fifth photo, and I’d missed that.

I’ll mention all this to the sea-side golfer guy, if I ever meet him. I have no idea who he is. I’m hoping that one of his neighbours might see this and have a chat with him, but that’s rather a long shot.

]]> By: Clive http://gabriolan.ca/2010/01/07/golf-gabriola-beaches/comment-page-1/#comment-20457 Clive Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:51:31 +0000 http://gabriolan.ca/?p=5138#comment-20457 The fifth picture from the top looks like it has a golf ball - a burnt sienna colour of the core with white dimples. The photographer in your blog mentions gyres, which are areas where winds and currents collect anything that floats, and are typically doldrums with little wind, and once floating objects enter, then don't come out. To my knowledge there are 5 large gyres on the ocean. They have become giant swirling flotillas of plastic and waste. Our Gabriola sea-side long ball hitter may want to consider using the nice range on the island golf course, donate his balls to the club instead of wasting them, where balls can be re-used and kept away from sea life, and stay after for a beer and darts and feel good about maybe helping out a few birds. The fifth picture from the top looks like it has a golf ball – a burnt sienna colour of the core with white dimples.

The photographer in your blog mentions gyres, which are areas where winds and currents collect anything that floats, and are typically doldrums with little wind, and once floating objects enter, then don’t come out. To my knowledge there are 5 large gyres on the ocean. They have become giant swirling flotillas of plastic and waste.

Our Gabriola sea-side long ball hitter may want to consider using the nice range on the island golf course, donate his balls to the club instead of wasting them, where balls can be re-used and kept away from sea life, and stay after for a beer and darts and feel good about maybe helping out a few birds.

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