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Did you know?

Golf courses enrolled in Audubon Signature Programs minimize the amount of managed turfgrass, thereby reducing water, energy, and chemical use, while maximizing wildlife habitats.

(Wildlife habitat and corridors- Old Collier Golf Club, FL)

Business Value of Developing for the Environment
 

Becoming a certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary saves money and natural resources, according to a 2003-04 survey of members of the Audubon Signature Programs.  Members considered operational costs, up front investments, and the importance of the program in marketing and promotion. Results include:

  • 90% of respondents reported that they believed annual maintenance and operations costs for their facility were either “lower than” or the “same as” the costs of an equivalent, non-Signature member golf course.
     

  • 43% of respondents felt that these operations and maintenance costs were actually lower due to their participation in the Signature Program.
     

  • 96% view their participation in the Signature Program as “a good business decision,” with the remaining 4% indicating that they “Don’t Know” at this time.
     

  • 63% of respondents stated that participation in the Signature Program, including upfront monetary and staff investment in the program, has or will save money, as compared to a course designed, constructed, and managed without Audubon International assistance, with 20% of the remaining respondents stating that they “Don’t Know” at this time.
     

  • Finally, 90% stated that they believed the Certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary status earned through following the program guidelines has or will have value in marketing and promotional efforts, with the remaining 10% indicating that they “Don’t Know.”

Cateechee Golf Club, GA:

  • Saves 20% in electric costs and 30% in overall operating costs, compared to traditionally built and managed golf courses
     

  • Uses more than 639 million gallons of effluent water annually from the City of Hartwell, which eliminates the need for the city to discharge effluent water into a local stream

PGA Golf Club, FL: 

  • Saved 25% in overall operating costs because of the state of the art equipment and practices promoted by the Signature Program
     

  • Conserves 100 million gallons of  water annually by collecting runoff in 80 acres of ponds created for water storage and wildlife habitat

Bonita Bay East, FL

  • Saved $56,000 annually by reducing the amount of turfgrass on its golf courses
     

  • Saved $10,000 by using grass carp to control algae in lakes, rather than using traditional chemical control methods
     

  • Saved two million gallons of water a year by replacing turf areas with native plants and eliminating sprinkler heads

Barton Creek Resort and Spa, TX:

  • “In Austin, or anywhere in the country for that matter, environmental stewardship is a great business decision.  Community outreach and education is a benefit to establishing our club as a role model for other properties.”  -- Anne Hickman-Hudgins, Environmental Landscape Coordinator

PGA of America/PGA Golf Club in St. Lucie, FL:

  • “Combining wildlife preservation and development is not only the right thing to do, but it makes good business sense.  Long-term operating costs can be significantly reduced while providing valuable environmental benefits to the community.  It is a business-environmental partnership that serves everyone.”   -- Jim L. Awtrey, former CEO

Old Greenwood Golf Course, CA:

  • “The concepts incorporated in the Signature Program will absolutely pay for the cost of what we’re doing over five to ten years…We’ll have better managed water and irrigation systems and use less chemicals.”  -- Bill Fiveash, Developer, East West Partners

 




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