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Editor's Note: This article is a exclusive, sneakpeek of GCI's May Issue, which is focused entirely on the topic of sustainability in golf and important role superintendents and their crews play.
They are pretty to look at and slow moving on land at the Bay Course at New Jersey’s Seaview Resort. What are they? No, not well-heeled vacationing golfers but Northern Diamondback Terrapins.
Seaview, an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, has for a number of years been involved in protecting the turtle’s nesting areas that are near, and sometimes on, playing areas. The resort has partnered with the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and the Wetlands Institute on the project. The Diamondback Terrapin is the only species of turtle that inhabits brackish coastal marshes, which the Bay Course is located near.
It is not uncommon for the turtles to actually lay their eggs in bunkers on the Bay Course during the spring, and the maintenance staff takes all precautions to create minimum disturbance to the eggs once they have been identified in sand bunkers, while allowing play to continue around the nests.
In addition, 15 young Diamondback Terrapins have been released into the wild on the property, as well as several rehabilitated terrapins that were hurt by predators or vehicles. With a donation of $500, microchips were planted on a Terrapin to trace migration patterns, nesting habits and general population numbers.
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Bay Course superintendent Donovan Maguigan says the effort is not without its bumps. As mentioned, the turtle sometimes nest and lay their eggs in the bunkers of the Bay Course. They migrate from Reeds Bay’s marshes during the day and lay their eggs in the soft sand of the bunkers before returning to the marshes. This occurs over the period of several weeks. During that time, the turtles can be seen tracking through bunkers. “We have accepted this, educated our guests, and have taken necessary options to prevent disturbance.”
Naturally, while trying to run a golf course, such coexistence between golfers and turtles requires the dissemination of information and education to explain to Seaview’s staff, guests, and members that the turtles are not to be disturbed, and Maguigan says there has been little misunderstanding about the effort.
“Our guests and members have been very receptive, helpful and accepting from the start of the program,” he says. “There has been a strong support from the local community. During the early implementation of the program, there was a considerable amount of outreach with local schools, environmental initiatives and Stockton College. Our owners and Stockton College are committed to being as environmentally aware and conscious as much as possible. Caring for the turtles and working to protect their environment is a logical and natural choice for us.”
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Caring for the turtles (being aware of them, not disturbing the nesting process, protecting eggs, educating golfers) hasn't proven costly. A majority of the work that has been done is education and outreach efforts pertaining to how the resort approaches and accommodates the turtles. Says Maguigan, “There has not been any extensive spending. Any work on the project comes in the course of our normal work and doesn't require a great deal of financial input.”
The resort openly embraces the Terrapins and in 2012, opened a small nine-hole bentgrass putting course that was appropriately named “The Turtle Course” in respect to the turtles. Says Maguigan, “We hope that aside from providing an additional amenity to the golfers here, we hope the putting course and its name will continue to raise awareness of the Diamondback Terrapins, just as the project raised our awareness.”
John Torsiello is a Torrington, Conn-based freelance writer and frequent GCI contributor.
