The Aero Golf Club

By Becky "Sha" Shamen

Long before becoming a reporter for the SL Newser, this bunny was hopping to the four corners of the grid, in search of the next been there done that.  A friend and I would take turns introducing the other to a new place and  activity. One of these adventures took place at a golf course. I had never tried real life golf, other than on a computer simulation, so was game to try it in SL. Turned out, I really liked it, although I couldn't explain why. Hoping to introduce our readers to this fun adventure, we searched for a golf sim, to re-learn the game and take notes on the back of the score card of the things we liked.

Our first pick was a place called the Aero Golf Club. But we soon learned of several other great clubs. From the landing, we pass through the clubhouse, noting large meeting rooms on either side. They must have some big events and tournaments here. Out on the back patio, you'll see a large pool on your right and to the left there is a kiosk, where you join the club, to be allowed to play there (free) and get a HUD and golf club.

The golf club is what they call a loner and is good for 24 hours and only at Aero. You can always get a new loner club for each time you come, or click the [?] on the HUD to learn where to buy your own, use anywhere kit, which even comes with it's own holes.

Next, we find the first tee, just a few steps from the kiosk. A large marker gives the tee number and it's par and has an arrow on top, pointed to the hole. Two small blocks mark the starting line Aim your body in the direction of the hole, then select the Driver from the HUD. This does several things to set you up to shoot. The head of the club adjusts shape, you are posed to hit the ball, a small cloud emits a tail to show direction and strength of wind and a pointer on the ground allows you to aim, using left and right arrow keys. Having  aimed in the right direction, you must now decide how hard to hit the ball. Click and hold down the left mouse button, in a clear area like the sky. As you keep it held down, a bars meter adds bars and changes color, as it reaches the maximum power level. Letting the button up allows the swing to begin and hit the ball. As the ball travels, it leaves a cool strobe light trail, which remains as you approach it. To get you to the ball's exact location, a large ball marker hovers above it. When you are close enough to click the marker, it will TP you to the ball. From this position, we follow the same steps as before, facing the direction of the hole, picking a club from the HUD, aiming and hitting. After you sink your putt in the hole, a look around the perimeter of the green will find the arrow that points to the next tee.

The HUD and club are simple to use and, after only a few holes, you begin to get pretty good at using them. Playing golf at Aero  is way better than a mere golf simulator, for several reasons.  The sim is a beautiful park-like setting, with a very enjoyable music stream. You can't help but find yourself thinking that this would be a great place to bring a friend or date. There are several places for small gatherings, like  a gazebo and the beach.

On my last visit to gather a few last details and pics, my radar picked up an avatar moving about the sim. Moving to their location, there was nobody to see. Then she welcomed me to which the reply was "Hi invisible lady". We worked out that a glitch in my viewer was keeping her from rezzing, while she could see me and my Newser Reporter tag. She told me about the golf world, in SL. I followed her as she finished her last few holes, although she was invisible, by following the bouncing ball. When her round was finished, she took me to two more golf sims and I could see her in those. We quickly looked around Hazeltine Golf course, then went to Claremont Pines to meet Ben Sauber, a top competitor on the circuit. My hostess qlued me that they use voice, when playing, so I turned it on. Having only recently upgraded to voice, I was amazed at how much the added dimension increased the fun. 

We highly recommend golf, in SL. My good friend, Doc Philly, liked it so much, he went out and bought his own set of clubs. Perhaps you'll catch him there, shooting some rounds.

Lavender (233, 127, 25)
 

"Sha"

Feed a Smile at the Lavender Field

One of the more unique charities operating in SL is “Feed a Smile” at the Lavender Field. In RL the charity is Live and Learn in Keyna (LLK), a German based organization that has existed for nearly 10 years. Since 2010 it has had a presence in SL. It is located at The Lavender Field - Feed a Smile for LLK, Tohono Island (142, 81, 21). In addition to providing a relaxing and fun environment, this site has a worthy goal: to feed and care for needy children in Kenya. Every $100L provides a meal to a child there.

Resident Brique Topaz is the chairwoman of both the German and International organizations of Live and Learn in Kenya, and the driving force behind the Feed a Smile in SL. When a friend introduced her to SL and the Nonprofit Commons, Topaz quickly recognized that SL could be useful in promoting LLK’s mission of helping children. Topaz said that since July 2010, 1,454,561 Linden dollars have been donated.

The site is beautiful and relaxing. When you first arrive, you find yourself in waist-high lavender. Hummingbirds and butterflies flutter around the flowers. You can almost smell the fresh scent of the lavender. While the lavender has no connection to Africa, it provides a beautiful and colorful backdrop for the concerts.

A torch-lit path leads to a village area where there are little shops, hammocks, a relaxing campfire, and other amenities. A stream meanders around the village and down to the beach. Exotic animals and birds add a fun touch, and even the buzz of the insects sounds real.

The site is large, and the landscape is lush and beautiful. But residents don’t have to worry about their donations being used for the site instead of the children. Brique Topaz said, “Every Linden that is donated goes directly towards meals. I pay the transfer costs as my own donation.” She went on to explain that nearly everything on the entire site has been donated, the land, the amenities, and even the sale items.

The land is being donated by OT Rentals, owned by Tomac Sewell and Ofelia Lavel, and Maria Binder. Dolly and Lilith Heart, owners of Heart Nursery, donated the plants, trees, waterfalls, campfires, and other landscape articles. All of the musicians perform for free, and many even donate Lindens as well. Both men and women’s clothing can be bought in the village, and all the Lindens go to the charity.

The concert area has information, a stage, and plenty of room for residents to relax or dance. I caught the last half of CraigGore Redfield performing live for about 20 residents. Like all the musicians who perform here, CraigGore donated his talent to the cause. (He even donated some Lindens, too!) His meaningful lyrics and excellent guitar skills were crowd pleasers. I was sorry I didn’t arrive in time for the entire show, but I was able to enjoy many of his selections, including “Ballerina.” “Diamonds Along the Way,” “High, High Places,” and the closing song, “Redemption.” His was the second concert of the day, and a total of 24,000 Lindens were donated that day.

For residents who want to do even more for the children, there is a RL sponsorship program available. More information about this program can be found at the site or by contacting Brique Topaz. One sponsorship has already been established because of the SL site, and other residents have shown an interest in the program. Sponsorships, however, operate outside of SL. Topaz explained that because the sponsorships are real and involve contact with the children, they cannot be anonymous.

The RL city where the children reside is Nakuru, a fourth largest city in Kenya. The area where the children reside is extremely poor and faces many challenges. Brique Topaz’ RL counterpart visits there at least once a year. Although it is not a fun or typical tourist trip, going to Nakuru keeps her knowledgeable about the needs of the children and the ways that the organization is helping them. More information about the RL site, as well as the organization, can be found at http://www.llk-selb.de.

Grey Lupindo