Columnist Victoria Sun: Fringe group targets golf-course turf researchers

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, June 7, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

This is definitely a tough one, so maybe you can help.

What's more pathetic? A group of "animal lovers" who physically harm people for wearing fur coats, or a group of golf-hating freaks calling themselves the Anarchist Golfing Association who have taken to destroying the property of companies that make the grass used on courses?

It's a tossup, huh?

People are entitled to their opinion; that's not the point.

So if you can't in good conscience don a full-length mink or a luxurious beaver-fur wrap because you feel sorry for the creature that was killed, then don't.

If you think doling out $50,000 a year -- plus the inflated greens fees -- to join the local golf club is a crime when there are starving people all over the world, then don't.

But stop trying to force your beliefs on others through violence and senseless acts of lunacy.

On Sunday night, members of the AGA broke into Pure-Seed Testing Inc., just outside of Portland, Ore., and destroyed $300,000 to $500,000 worth of equipment.

The Associated Press reported that the vandals stomped on experimental grass plots, spray-painted slogans such as "Nature Bites Back," on a plastic greenhouse and had the gall to e-mail the company's owner boasting of the attack. It was later learned that Pure-Seed Testing was targeted because it was experimenting with a grass used on putting greens.

Part of the e-mail to owner Bill Rose read: "These crops are grown for the profit and the pleasure of the rich and have no social value."

As true as that statement is, life would be extremely boring for most of us without a grand lifestyle to fantasize about or to work hard to achieve.

Guess we should spite all of the rich people in the world and do everything we can to make their lives miserable -- which happens to be the stated mission of the AGA, if you can believe it. The AGA wants "to make life miserable for companies that develop genetically engineered grass for a sport solely the pleasure of the rich."

I'd feel sorry for these ignorant people if they weren't so stupid.

Even after Anderson fired a final-round 1-over 73, he didn't act like a jerk. He showed the same amount of class he has his entire collegiate career.

"It wasn't the magical day I always envisioned for my final round," he managed to say. "I wanted to go out there so bad and shoot just an incredible round.

"I think the problem was I wanted it too badly. I (was) trying a little too hard out there."

A gracious golfer even after a bad round? Knight's loss is a huge gain for the PGA Tour.

Lance Yamaguchi made the most of his visit to Angel Park on Sunday. The resident of Mililani, Hawaii, aced the 103-yard 11th hole on the Mountain course.

The Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada will host a tournament on June 18 at the Rhodes Ranch Golf Course. The format will be a four-person scramble with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $175 per person and $700 for a foursome. Call 648-1990 for information.