Bringing attention to golf’s role in providing valuable green spaces in communities is an effective strategy that can also bolster business for facilities. Through its series of certification programs, Audubon International is helping raise awareness of golf courses that embrace conservation efforts. The New York-based non-profit organization works with more than 2,000 golf courses to help clients demonstrate their commitment to managing their properties in a sustainable fashion.
Audubon International CEO Christine Kane has been with the organization for nearly a decade. She’s seen a sea of changes in how golf facilities look at the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship in finding and retaining customers.
“This past nine years has been very exciting because when I started out, the courses that had sustainable management practices and wanted to tout them were more rare. Now it’s almost completely flipped to where you’ll stand out if you don’t show that you’re managing your property in a sustainable way,” Kane says. “There have been so many changes to how golf courses are managed, different technologies that are available and just a different way of thinking about the benefits of sustainable management.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic sparked newfound interest in golf, it created interest from golf facilities to achieve Audubon International certifications to help signal that they were practicing sustainable maintenance on the golf course and beyond.
“There are shifting demographics in the game, and a lot of the players who are new to golf are more aware of environmental issues and they’d like that to be reflected in the places they play, or vacation or join as members,” Kane says. “During COVID, I think a lot of people also started understanding that nature is all around us – you don’t have to go stand in the middle of a national forest to be in nature, all you have to do is go to a golf course. So you want your golf course to be a good steward of nature.”
Kane suggests PGA of America Professionals can help further the nature vibe at their facilities by leaning into allowing non-golf use of the property when possible. Ideas like hosting nature walks, bird-watching events or sunset tours are all popular at various facilities to help position golf courses as places urban and suburban populations can interact with the natural world in a vibrant green space. Embracing strategies like composting, using biodigesters and starting farm-to-table gardening operations are also creative ideas for making a golf facility more environmentally friendly.
Kane also points out there are ways for golf courses to use out of play areas to become habitats for endangered species. Golf courses can often be excellent homes to colonies of bees, with apiaries that can be safely positioned away from maintained areas. A robust bee population helps with agricultural production and local flower pollinizing, and can also have a side benefit of producing honey that could be used in a clubhouse kitchen or sold in the golf shop.
Or there’s Audubon International’s popular Monarchs in the Rough program, which helps transform underutilized areas on golf courses into vibrant habitats for monarch butterflies. By providing courses with the resources to plant milkweed and nectar plants, they can create an area that attracts and sustains monarchs and other important pollinators. The result can be a beautified golf course while improving the planet’s biodiversity.
“In a lot of areas, you have golf courses that were ‘in the country’ when they were new, but have become surrounded by urban or suburban sprawl over the years,” Kane says. “That makes them critical wildlife corridors as green areas, and golf courses have really become leaders in the area of converting out of play areas to help monarch butterflies and other species that are experiencing huge population drops.
“So many people love that golf lets you interact with nature, and this gives golf courses a way to let people get outside and really see the full diversity of nature and how golf can enhance a community even for people who never play the game.”
The PGA of America engages in governmental advocacy to help educate lawmakers about golf’s positive role in the environment. In addition to participating in National Golf Day, the Association also has partnerships with the GCSAA and the National Golf Course Owner Association (NGCOA) to present a strong voice in governmental affairs.
The PGA of America also has a new Legislative Policy Committee, which is chaired by PGA of America Golf Professional Nikki Gatch and vice chaired by Dale Morgan, PGA. NGCOA Senior Director of Advocacy Ronnie Mills sits on the board, which helps the golf industry interact with legislators who may not know golf’s positive environmental effects.
“It’s important to remember that as popular as golf is, 92 out of 100 Americans still don’t play the game,” Rea explains. “If our elected officials don’t play the game, or if they don’t understand what golf is all about – or if they have inaccurate preconceived notions about the sport and business – that’s a problem.
“With government advocacy, we have to ap proach it intentionally to make sure our game is healthy so our PGA of America Golf Professionals will have healthy careers. The good news is that golf is an engine for good for the environment and the economy.”