Golf and Endangered Species

[Tim Liddy]

I am developing a list of golf courses with endangered species on or adjacent to them.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Dan_Callahan]

I know Butter Brook in Massachusetts had lots of routing issues after discovering an endangered salamander on the property.

From newengland golf.com:

The plan is to begin work this summer on the back nine at Butter Brook, but as of early August the course was still in the process of negotiating with the state of Massachusetts’ Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. During initial inspections of the course site, a population of blue spotted salamander was discovered, which delayed construction of the front nine, and now has impeded the backside.

Mungeam, who encountered the same problem at past projects, jokes that the salamanders might be endangered, but the group charged with protecting them, “might not be looking in the right places. They seem to be on most of the proposed golf course sites I see.”

Mungeam has worked with the Kennedy’s to produce a routing that provides the salamander breeding grounds six times the buffer zone required, and the hope is that issues regarding the salamanders will be resolved this summer and work can quickly commence turning Butter Brook into an 18-hole facility—hopefully by spring 2005.

[John Moore II]

Country Club of North Carolina (and probably about half the courses in eastern NC for that matter) and the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

Might also look to NC Outer Banks courses and certain types of Sea Turtles.

[Peter Wagner]

Tim,

On my home course, Sherwood, we have two fenced off areas that contain a rare herb from the sunflower family, Pentachaeta lyonii.  This is a tiny sunflower about half the size of your fingernail.

When we transferred ownership of the club from the developer to the members last year I had to sign agreements that we acknowledged the responsibility of protecting the Pentachaeta lyonii.  The areas are fenced off and completely left alone.  Too bad because one of these areas would make an ideal tee box for our 8th hole.

We also have 4 areas that are deemed to be 'oak preserves' that contain hundreds of 200-300 year old oaks.  Same thing as above, we can't touch them. 

The language in the contracts was pretty strong... mess with a tiny sunflower and you go to jail.

- Peter

[Don Hyslop]

  Not sure if you were just looking for U.S. courses or not but if you are lloking at North American or World courses Cape Breton Highlands counts in a couple of ways. Check out this list of species at risk in Cape Breton:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton/natcul/natcul1dii_E.asp

As part of a National Park, Highland Links became the first course in Atlantic Canada to win the designation of  “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by the Audobon (Audubon) Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada. When Highlands Links' rich golf heritage is combined with Parks Canada's high standards of ecological protection and its commitment to preserving the natural environment of northern Cape Breton, the result is a unique experience for golfers from around the world.





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[Kyle Henderson]

The Institute (supposedly soon to host the PGA Tour) is home to an endangered species of red frog.

[James Boon]

Tim

Not sure if your research is exclusive to the USA but here in England, many of our courses, often the older links courses are in Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI or Triple S Is). These often contain both flaura and fauna that is endangered.

I found this link from the R&A...
http://www.randa.org/news/files/Wildlife.pdf

And a quick internet search revealed...
http://www.sauntongolf.co.uk/FandF.php
http://www.royalbirkdale.com/ff_intro.asp?id=12 including a hole by hole breakdown.

May also be worth noting the trouble Donald Trump is having with his golf course project in Scotland but I think that is more related to a rare habitat rather than any specific species, though one would assume that if the habitat is rare there is a good chance some of the species there will be?

Cheers

James

[Kyle Harris]

What level of endangered?

On a daily basis, I see Osprey, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Blue Tailed Skinksm Red-shouldered Hawks and Pileated Woodpeckers....

[Dan Herrmann]

Kyle - a Pileated Woodpecker?  That's pretty cool...

Coolest I've seen are scarlet tanagers, little blue herons, and indigo buntings.

But, no - no endagered species.  But we do have lots of groundhogs - it IS Pennsylvania, after all.

[Scott Stambaugh]

Ten years ago, while rebuilding the 14th hole on the Dunes Course at MPCC, we had to take protective measures not to destroy habitat of the Smith's Blue Butterfly, which at that time was a Federally Endangered Species.  I'm not sure if an actual butterfly has ever been spotted there, though.

Every week during the season, I am witness to one of the most endangered species of all- we have a member who is 81 years old, walks and carries her bag...

Scott

[Dan Herrmann]

Scott - Marry that gal (or her granddaughter)!