I was reading through the golf section of a “Discover Scottsdale” book and read an insert that the Sanctuary Golf Course was only the 17th course in the world to attain the coveted Audubon Signature Status. This is the first time I have ever heard about such a program and was wondering if this is something architects are beginning to think about when designing a golf course. My last studio teacher was an advocate of green building and at the end of the year presented a lecture on sustainability. Is achieving a gold or silver Audubon status something that architects should strive to achieve. Is it their responsibility to the environment to help make golf courses less dependant on excessive watering and preserving natural habitats?

Also are their any architects in particular who have taken the initiative to make this happen at every course they design?


More information about the program here:

http://www.audubonintl.org/programs/acss/golf.htm

Calling Mike Young!

Mike should comment on this in that, unless I'm mistaken, he has a relationship with the Audubon Society.

His input on this topic would be invaluable...

The Golf Club at Squaw Creek has some sort of imprimature from Audubon something or other and it still doesn't do a thing for a lousy golf experience.

The noisy clattering of golf carts on wooden slats over wetlands must terrify any birds in the vicinity.

Could this be another politically correct way to get permit approval to build a golf course?

Bob

...well Mike I have always been a skeptic of the group...definately a for profit corp.....but on your say so, I will be more open minded [if I only had a brain ].

My studio instructor spent some time at the end of his lecture to present a project he worked on. It was a green building and he gathered up all the information to send it to a green building program called LEEDS. This seems to be the architectural equivalent to the Certified Audubon Sanctuaries. His building received, I think, silver status which he still to this day claims, deserved gold(Just like how I deserved a B+ and not a B- in his class)….

The point I guess I’m trying to make is that compiling all the criteria and determining what kind of status the golf course deserves takes a lot of time and effort if it is to be done correctly(just like the green building LEED program).

So Bob, I certainly hope this is not a scam as the quote on their website might lead some to believe:

The 50 in 5 Goal
”To have 50% of all golf courses in the United States enrolled and active in the either Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses or the Audubon Signature Programs by the end of 2007.”

–At $150 a year from thousands of golf courses…. you get the picture.

From the looks of it I think they are truly doing good while doing well. And I guess there’s not much wrong with that.


-And Jeff, I applaud your efforts and hope more of your kind are striving to do the same.

Paul and Bob,

I once served on a jury where the young lawyer asked every expert witness whether they had been paid to be here today.  Finally, the judge - who was actually retired, but called out of retirement by Cook County to ease caseloads, and therefore could "tell it like it is" - told the lawyer to stop asking that, adding that " you're paid to be here, I'm paid to be here, the other lawyers are paid to be here, and even the jury is paid a few bucks a day to be here!  No one goes anywhere without getting paid, so get over it."

I always remember that when someone questions the motives of a gca, the USGA, or Audubon International just because they get some fees out of a deal.  Yes, they all get paid, but it doesn't necessarily lessen their committment to their cause or ideals.

Could anyone describe the differences between a gold, silver, or bronze course? Are there any number of factors that are more important than others?

Paul and Bob,

I once served on a jury where the young lawyer asked every expert witness whether they had been paid to be here today.  Finally, the judge - who was actually retired, but called out of retirement by Cook County to ease caseloads, and therefore could "tell it like it is" - told the lawyer to stop asking that, adding that " you're paid to be here, I'm paid to be here, the other lawyers are paid to be here, and even the jury is paid a few bucks a day to be here!  No one goes anywhere without getting paid, so get over it."

I always remember that when someone questions the motives of a gca, the USGA, or Audubon International just because they get some fees out of a deal.  Yes, they all get paid, but it doesn't necessarily lessen their committment to their cause or ideals.

Obviously, the young lawyer was a novice. No expert witness travels a thousand miles, stays in a crummy hotel for days on end and gives of his expert knowledge free of charge.

What I am concerned with, is the value of their imprimature. The Gold, Silver and Bronze stuff sounds suspiciously like the fees from Scientology.

As mentioned earlier I played at a certified course at Lake Tahoe. It was so environmentally correct as to defy logic. The sensitive areas were so pervasive that each foursome out there must have lost four or five balls per man.  

Exactly which group has permission to use 'Audubon' in its  title.

Bob

I have a  feeling that if you allow your super to decide where the money should be spent, he will say he too loves birds and nature but ,"Didn't you hire me to grow and maintain turfgrass and bunkers?"  Even if the members claim that there is money for both, there is not.  The bird and nature committee types should be congratulated and  encouraged to volunteer for the local audubon society fundraiser not affiliated with your golf club.