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economist sunsuntribune saturday june 4 2005 15 least of golfers worries by chris traber staff writer golf courses lush pastoral gardens populated by genteel players and natures tranquil offer ings arent normally associated with the types of physi cal hazards of other sports therein lies the risk you are out in the elements clubs are swinging and balls are fly ing silver lakes golf club head professional ray gasparet said golf is not a dangerous game as long as you are aware of where you are thats not to say the grand old game cant sneak up on you and levy a handicap beyond your score golf is not a dangerous game as long as you are aware of where you are ray gasparet silver lakes coif club head professional as the pro at the popular new market club mr gasparet has seen it all and has experienced the dark er side of golf ive been hit by a ball he said my best advice to players is to clear the green when theyre finished dont stand around carding your score do that when you get to the safety of the next tee box the most dangerous thing on the course is the power cart its an expensive piece of equip ment and people forget theyre driving a motorized vehicle they can seriously hurt themselves ive seen people drive right square into a tree he said the game has other hazards consider a heavy metal-headed- club travels about 160 kmh to launch a very compact hard ball at up to 250 kmh a good golfer can drive a ball througli a phone book staff photobill roberts silver lakes golf club head professional ray gasparet has experienced the darker side of golf which included being hit with a ball getting liitby one of these dimpled missiles can be fatal following the rules observing etiquette and applying common sense will save golfers unnecessary grief mr gasparet suggested among the plethora of potential perils is the golf course itself and what keeps it plush theres no question golf cours es use certain pesticides mr gas paret said what you dont want to do is put anything that touches the ground in your mouth mr gasparet referred to some golfers questionable penchant for putting tees between their teeth cleaning their ball with their tongue or reinserting a cigarette or cigar after placing it on the turf after all golf courses are laden with greening chemicals and like it or not they are wildlifes toilet the prolonged effect cant be good he said a friend put it in perspective when he said hockey players dont lick the ice off their skate blades you shouldnt do it with a golf ball former canadian professional golf association player of the year jelana duncan agrees most ama teurs are blissfully unaware of the possible hazards of golfing besides the obvious such as standing well behind a player about to hit ms duncan advises to be wary of the elements a friend put it in perspective when he said hockey piayers dont lick the ice off their skate blades you shouldnt do it with a golf ball ray gasparet silver lakes golf club head professional youre in the sun for five hours the certified teaching professional at angus glen golf club in unionville said dermatologists recommend a 30spf applied 30 minutes before golfing wear a hat and cover your arms and legs also hydrate well with water avoid caf feine alcohol and pop p if the pro shop issues a lightning warning evacuate the course when storm clouds loom ensure your umbrella has a fiberglass han dle andyourshoe spikes are plastic metal attracts lightning bring insect repellent ms dun can advised for many duffers risk of injury occurs in the parking lot taking a heavy golf bag out of the car trunk can cause serious injury ms duncan said a propo nent of warming up with stretching exercises she said golf requires see stretching page 16 anne brodie on movies sisterhood realistic optimistic the sisterhood of the traveling pants starring amber tamblyn america ferrera blake lively and alexis bledel based on the novels of ann brashares now playing ts comingofage time in the world of four girlfriends whose mothers met in neonatal classes some 17 years earlier their bond is rock solid in this fun film that looks honestly at the way girls interact and grow there is none of the negativi ty too cool for school attitude and backstabbing sometimes seen in films meant to appeal to this particular demographic its realistic and optimistic there is a keen following of brashares three novels about the sisterhood and at a recent screening teenagers came clutching their copies to see their fantasy world transformed to film a quick exit poll found they really liked the result whats not to like there are four distinct and appealing char acters who love each other all their differences and similarities appreciated and stand by each other in times of need while treasure hunting in a thrift store they discover a pair oj beaten up blue jeans that weird ly fit each perfectly and they look different from each other so they dub them magic pants they create a set of rules for the pants each will wear them for a week and mail them on to the other over the summer as they go their separate ways one is participating in a sum mer soccer camp in mexico one see jeans page 16 mm october 21 22 23 2005 wwwmarkhamhomeshowcom makkham fairgrounds loaol mt cowan rd markham call j or dltailsof a our buildings kiospfcrsifc outdoor tv living