Jun 11, 2008 10:50 pm US/Eastern
Mass. Golf Course Going Green For The Environment
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
When it comes to being a good environmental neighbor, golf courses usually get a pretty bad rap because of all the chemicals used to keep those greens vibrant. Now, some local fairways are changing the way they do business, so they are not harming the world around them.
The Bay Club in Mattapoisett may look like a protected reserve, but it's actually a golf course.
The 700-acre facility has earned the Silver Signature Sanctuary Certificate from Audubon International. They have adopted a number of eco-friendly practices, such as allowing hardy grasses that don't require any maintenance to cover non-golfing areas.
View Audubon Certified Golf Courses
Course Superintendent Jon O'Connor says the mixture of short grass, tall grass and other terrains actually makes for a more interesting landscape. They also allow for natural habitats for creatures like the threatened box turtle to flourish. "There are 400 acres of wetlands that we had to work around. We had a net zero impact on wetlands. There was a quarter of an acre that we had to disturb; that quarter acre was replicated in another area of the site."
This approach changed the feel of the course, but in a good way, according to golfer Ron Dias. "We have a red tailed hawk that kind of likes the fifth hole, and we see it at the fifth hole a lot, and it just truly enhances the golf experience."
Golf courses have not always been in harmony with the world around them. Steve Long of the Nature Conservancy said part of the problem is the chemicals used to keep the greens so green. "The pesticides, if they are not properly used, could involve run off, going into the water supplies that effect communities, and could also effect habitats for plants and animals."
Steve believes the integrated approach outlined by Audubon International, using electric instead of gas powered mowers for example, makes a big difference. It can also be good for business, according to O'Connor.
He explained as he observed one of the natural lawn areas that it can be "five times less expensive to manage. So this is a business, so we are looking at ways to manage our finances, provide the best product, the most environmentally positive product that we can."
The Bay Club is the only Massachusetts golf course to earn a Silver Certificate from Audubon International. Many other courses, however, are adopting positive environmental practices. To learn more, check out the following Web sites:
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