2012 Great Places Awards - Call for entries

Golf courses serve multiple functions in our urban and suburban landscapes. Although they were originally designed primarily for recreation, our courses now play a role in urban storm-water management, habitat and corridor preservation, air quality improvement, and various other environmental functions. There is no doubt that a golf course in the year 2012 serves the community in more ways then ever before, even to those who've never picked up a golf club.

The Great Places Awards is all about honoring creative, multidisciplinary environmental design, planning, research and writing, of which the golf industry has no shortage of. The Environmental Design Research Association's (EDRA) Call for Entries for the 14th Annual Great Places Awards for Place Design, Planning and Research deadline is Friday, January 27, 2012. Click here for submission guidelines, rules and official entry form.

Mirimichi Goodness

My buddy Russ Bodie of Audubon Environmental describes some of the natural and green features at Mirimichi - Justin Timberlake's course near Memphis, TN. Recorded on August 18, 2010.

Business Ethics at Bandon Dunes

The Oregon Ethics in Business Awards honor those organizations and individuals who have demonstrated ethical business practice in its broadest interpretation: in the workplace, the marketplace, the environment, and the community. The recipients of these awards will have, by act and example, gone beyond the expected to achieve excellence in ethical business practices.

Back in 2009 the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, located on the southern Oregon coast, received Oregon Ethics in Business Award. The resort provides golfers with three championship style 18-hole layouts ranked among the nation’s elite public courses, along with several exceptional restaurants and lodging accommodations. Bandon Dunes understands the importance of keeping guests satisfied and aims to provide services that are “genuine, sincere, helpful and friendly.” However, Bandon Dunes does not only consider paying customers to be their guests, but instead, extends the same respect to stakeholders including employees, purveyors, the local community, and the environment. This golf resort, which has been barely carved from the landscape leaving nature largely unaffected, supported by the gracious hospitality of employees who are truly proud to be a part of the organization, has continued to become an exceptionally profitable, overwhelmingly generous, highly ethical enterprise.

Video: La Costa Resort and Spa Renovation

From their YouTube Account:

"La Costa Resort and Spa embarks on an all-new golf experience, renovating the legendary golf course of the PGA Championship location with the designers, Pascuzzo and Pate. Environmentally sustainable and player-friendly, we are excited about the new course, debuting in fall 2011."

Netherlands: "An Obligation to Build New Nature"

An interesting video looking briefly at Netherlands golf market and how Dutch golf development is taking on the role of increasing nature and supporting local farmers, workforce and industries.

Report by: Tania Nataya and Kwame Amoh, Featuring Jart Sluiter of Dutch Golf

Golf Development: Balancing Good Design and Client Demands

Here's an interesting little video about sustainability and golf development featuring interviews with John Goldwyn (Associate Vice President, WATG), Paul Stringer (Executive Vice President, Nicklaus Design), and Ray Wilson (Managing Director, Sourthern Golf).

Sustainability and the Environment from WATG on Vimeo.

Pitchcare Magazine: Developments in Sustainable Developments

From Pitchcare Magazine:
"The Golf Environment Organization & British Association of Golf Course Constructors have established a partnership that will see the bodies collaborate closely around the sustainability issues of golf construction.


The move follows the recent publication of the GEO Legacy™ Guidance for Sustainable Golf Development, which feature a common sense checklist for protecting and enhancing air, water, soil and ecology during the construction phase of golf developments.