Good to Mother Earth (The environment, Q&A)

A look at what it takes for courses to be certified by Audubon International and to improve environmental stewardship

GCN interviews Ron Dodson, president and c.e.o. of Audubon International

Q: Why is sustaining and enhancing the environment on and around golf courses important?

The future of the game depends on it. It’s not going to get easier to manage existing golf courses or acquire permits to build new courses without a serious focus on protecting and enhancing the environment on and around golf courses.

And because we all depend on resources for our lives and work, golf can and should play a leadership role in communities. It’s good for the environment, good for golf, and in the end, it makes good economic sense.

Q: What percentage of the organization’s work deals with golf courses?

About 50 percent of everything we’re involved with is connected to golf in some way.

Q: Which Audubon programs are suitable for golf courses?

For existing golf courses, the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program is the prime program. It has been sponsored by the U.S. Golf Association since its inception in 1991.

Additionally, we’ve recently launched the Audubon International Classics Program, which is a step beyond Cooperative Sanctuary certification and is great for those courses and course managers who want to go beyond the minimum certification requirements associated with the ACSP.

For courses in the planning stages, the Audubon Signature Program is the only program available. The Signature Program has three levels of certification: bonze, silver and gold. Gold is the highest level of certification offered by Audubon International.

Q: How many golf courses in the United States have an Audubon designation?

In the ACSP, there are 573 certified golf courses. In the Signature Program, there are 53 certified golf courses – 29 of those are bonze, 16 are silver, and eight are gold.

Q: How often are you contacted by golf course management inquiring about Audubon programs?

We’re contacted daily by someone or some company interested in our programs and various levels of Audubon certification.

Q: What does it take to be Audubon certified?

It takes a commitment to including environmental stewardship as an equal focus to making a profit. Our organization provides the support, educational materials and hands-on guidance that can lead to certification. We have enough experience that we can prove it doesn’t cost money to become Audubon certified, it makes money. It takes some time, and a golf course superintendent can’t do it alone. Various projects must be delegated to others.

Q: How long does it take, typically?

It depends on what shape an existing course presently is in when it joins the program. For planned courses, it depends on where they’re at in the permitting process when they join the Signature Program. But for most courses, it typically takes two to three years from start to certification. They also have to be recertified annually or every other year depending on what program of which they’re members.

Q: What are the costs related to receiving an Audubon certification?

For the ACSP, the cost of membership is $150 per year. What the course spends in connection to becoming certified is based on the condition of the course when they join. But again, our members have documented substantial monetary savings beyond any program-membership costs when comparing before-and-after costs associated with water bills, electric bills, pesticide bills, etc.

The Signature Program registration and annual membership fees range from $9,500 to $12,500 – $500 of that is the annual membership fee. Additionally, a requirement of Signature certification includes the requirement to have a written natural resource management plan, which is an additional expense, the costs of which vary from project to project.

For development companies that are seriously committed to sustainable development and join the Gold Signature Program, Audubon International prepares a sustainable development master plan for the entire project; and we interact with the entire project team, the government-permitting agencies and so forth. Again, the total cost depends on the size, complexity and location of the property. But in most cases, the total paid to Audubon International to help these companies normally is below the price of one building lot being sold on the property.

Q: Why is it worth it to receive Audubon certification?

That might be a better question to ask our members, but what they have reported to us includes: greater acceptance by local community and government agencies, which equals faster permitting times; large monetary savings when following the "soft engineering" approaches prescribed by Audubon International; and faster real-estate and club-membership sales at higher profit margins. Most people want to play golf and see nature and wildlife, too, so this leads to enthusiastic and supportive golfers.

Q: What types of courses have the best chance to become Audubon certified?

All golf courses can become certified by Audubon International. There isn’t one good reason for every golf course not to join an Audubon program and become certified. It’s not the money. We have a great example of a par-3, nine-hole golf course that has a $21,000-a-year maintenance budget that’s not only certified in the ACSP, but is the only golf course in the United States that’s participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Performance Track Program. That’s Colonial Acres Golf Club in Glenmont, N.Y. There’s only one reason why a golf course can’t become certified in an Audubon program: The golf course management doesn’t care.

Q: Can courses increase their green fees because they’re Audubon certified? Is it justifiable?

The answer is "yes," and many have increased fees and sales. More and more, people who are planning vacations are asking us for lists of Audubon certified golf courses.

On the other hand, while it’s great we can use environmental stewardship as an income source, some question charging people more to do the right thing. In other words, if a course is wasting water, energy and overusing chemical products, and management charges X to play, and another course is committed to environmental stewardship but charges more to play, then aren’t we giving a "cost edge" to the courses that are doing less environmental stewardship?

Q: What would you tell superintendents who think it’s too difficult to do the things to become Audubon certified?

The first thing I would tell them is not to try to do everything themselves. We will give superintendents all the materials and help they need, but they need to delegate to others to get the job done.

However, I feel for superintendents, too. Most golfers have no clue what it’s like to be a golf course superintendent … actually most golfer don’t have a clue about much of anything. They just want to sink every putt, hit every fairway and can’t understand why their courses can’t look like the course they saw on television last weekend. Superintendents are under considerable pressure of losing their jobs, and many do every year.

Q: Have courses lost their Audubon certification because they didn’t keep up with the requirements?

Yes. Since the inception of the ACSP, two courses have closed and aren’t certified anymore, and 20 additional courses have been uncertified for not maintaining the program minimum requirements. In the Signature Program, 55 have been deactivated because they requested to be released from the program or it was obvious they wouldn’t be certified. One course that was certified was uncertified for not maintaining minimum requirements of the Signature Program.

Q: Aside from trying to be Audubon certified, what should superintendents be doing to improve the environmental aspects of golf courses?

Identify golfers that care about the environment and make them allies. Identify areas that are presently managed in turfgrass that can be transitioned slowly to another form of vegetation that requires less input and maintenance without affecting play. Participate in the USGA Turf Advisory Service. Develop a written integrated pest management plan. Clean up and organize maintenance facilities. Most maintenance facilities I see are a disgrace to golf and the people who work out of them.

Q: Do golf courses get a bad rap from the general public about their impact on the environment?

Properly sited, designed and managed golf courses are good for the environment, wildlife, people and recreation. But most golf courses aren’t properly sited, designed and maintained. Generally, the golf course industry as a whole is riding on the backs of a few really great golf course superintendents who are truly committed to golf and the environment. Those golf courses and golf course superintendents are getting a bad rap, but the others are getting a free ride to a degree.

It should be remembered the most committed golf course superintendent and the most stellar golf course is only as strong as the weakest golf course, and all will be brought down by the next chemical spill or the next fish or bird kill on a golf course.

Q: What’s your view about pesticide use on golf courses?

Pesticides are just one tool in the management tool chest. They can be used appropriately, or they can be used in a way that will be harmful. Some pesticides are worse than others from an environmental point of view and the "bad" ones, even if labeled for use on a golf course, should be used sparingly or not at all on some locations on golf courses. But most often, it’s the design, chosen turfgrass, location, trees, wind (or lack of wind), heat, or the antiquated irrigation systems that lead to various management practices and the use of various products. Personally, I’m not phobic of pesticides. Many of the courses we work with use all chemical products very sparingly. This isn’t only because of their concern for the environment but because they are expensive.

Q: How well are golf course superintendents doing as stewards of the environment?

The golf course superintendents we know and work with, by and large, are doing great things and are committed to being stewards of the environment. But we’re working with only a small percentage of all the golf course superintendents in the United States. Throughout the past several years, new membership in our various golf programs have either held steady or have slightly decreased. However, during the past couple of years, we have seen an increase of memberships on an international basis.

Therefore, given the continuing support of the USGA, the visibility of golf and environment issues, and the concerted effort being made by many to get more superintendents involved in environmental stewardship programs such as the ACSP – with little or no success – I’d have to say that as an industry golf course superintendents aren’t doing a great job as stewards of the environment.

Q: How do you encourage more superintendents to become better environmental stewards?

We need to create a "Golf and Environment Club" for golfers to join that will visibly show course managers a large number of golfers support environmental stewardship on golf courses. We also need to have golf courses monetarily reward superintendents and include environmental stewardship as an important and visible part of their management activities. GCN

Ron Dodson can be reached at rdodson@auduboninternational.org.