A good walk spoiled

The Hound has always believed that golf is, as Mark Twain described it, "A good walk spoiled." The Hound has more friends than Britney Spears has right about now who have been seduced by the game of golf and all the folderol that goes with it.

You know who you are. The ones who believe a new set of clubs, a new driver, a new ball, a new wardrobe, will improve your scores. They don't. Only one thing improves scores. Ask the pros. It's playing time. Hour after grueling hour.

But, about Master's time, The Hound's ears perk up. It 's not every sport that gives out a green sport coat for winning a tournament. Super Bowl rings can be a bit ostentatious, but a green jacket? Well, who can't use one of those every day?

So, with everybody all of a sudden concerned about going green, The Hound wondered how many Lake County courses are actually, well, green.

Not many, according to the eco-friendly golf course Web site www.golfandenvironment.org.

Of course, Florida would have the most einvironmentally green golf courses, according to the site, which is operated by the Audubon Society. Surprisingly, Orchard Hills Golf Course, operated by the Waukegan Park District, failed to make the cut.

Courses in the county which made the list --- actually, lesser tiers of the list --- are mainly operated by the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Wonder what that costs county taxpayers?

But here's our green golf courses, according to the Audubon Society:

ThunderHawk in Beach Park, considered by some to be the county's premiere public course; Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington (is that near Honey Lake?); Brae Loch Golf Course, owned by the county, in Grayslake; Countryside west of Mundelein, also owned by the county; and Ivanhoe Club, the gated golf community west of Mundelein whose members don't want to look at a Super Wal-Mart.

The Audubon Society failed to rank the courses according to fish fries. Fore!