| "Everything's the rough out there." | |
| Tom Gaskill , South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve |
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The object of the game is to find the most signs of life, and thus learn about the estuarine environment. Getting to whack a lemon or lime with a golf club, and slog and dig through mud are bonuses. The winner takes home a one-of-a-kind trophy.
The game is Gooey Golf. It's one of a variety of educational programs offered each summer by the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Charleston, Oregon.
"It's a hands-on experience on a tideflat," says Heather Lester, the reserve's education program specialist. "It gives people a chance to get face to face with the life that's under their feet."
The rules of a Gooey Golf tournament are simple. Players use a golf club to hit a "detrital ball" (really a lemon or lime) out onto a mudflat. Eelgrass beds are out of bounds. Wherever the ball lands is where the contestant digs.
Using the club to draw a circle about a yard radius around the ball, the player has two minutes to dig like crazy to find as many critters, or signs of critters, as possible. Each sign of life receives points—with points increasing for the rarity of the species. After filling back in the hole, it is then the next contestant's turn.
After each player has had at least two turns, the points are added up. The contestant with the most points wins a hand-made trophy made out of shells and other "intertidal-life remnants," says Tom Gaskill, South Slough's education program coordinator. "It's definitely something people would like to have in their homes."
As with any golf game, proper attire on the course is required. "Everything's the rough out there," notes Gaskill, so knee-high boots, such as Wellingtons, are the standard footwear. Players should be willing to have the rest of their clothing "stink for a little while."
The reserve hosted its sixth annual Gooey Golf Tournament in July. The number of contestants is limited to 15 to ensure reserve staff members can make the game both fun and educational. Most of the participants, Lester says, are families.
The program has been equally successful at educating secondary audiences, such as people digging for clams who become intrigued by the Gooey Golf spectacle and come over to ask questions.
"This style of hands-on interpretation out in the field—taking it to where people actually are—is a very effective methodology for reaching a user group that we wouldn't reach otherwise," Gaskill says.
The media is another audience the program is reaching. "The name is intriguing and has drawn in a lot of reporters," Gaskill says. "This is an audience that coastal managers shouldn't forget."
Not only is Gooey Golf "a fun and engaging activity," Gaskill says, but "the educational value is really something we feel is worthwhile. People walk away with the experience and understanding that the diversity of life under their feet needs to be respected."
For more information on Gooey Golf, contact Heather Lester at heather.lester@state.or.us, or Tom Gaskill at tom.gaskill@state.or.us. Either can be reached by calling (541) 888-5558.
