Golf Courses Get Environmental Seal Of Approval

BOSTON -- The green of a golf course is seldom green in nature. Many golf courses are not environmentally friendly, using a tremendous amount of chemicals to get the green look.

But golf courses across the world are working to change that, and aiming for an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program seal of approval for really "green" greens.

One of those courses is the Red Tail Golf Course in Devens, which was recently designated as the first Audubon International Sanctuary golf course in New England.

Simply put, the course puts the green in the green.

"We make our tolerance a lot higher to keep less chemicals going into the ground, going into the water sources so that water is again better than it was when it probably came out of heaven," Drew Cummins said.

It is up to Cummins and the grounds crew to keep sanctioned by the Audubon Society. To maintain the green status, few chemicals must be used and they should be organic when possible. Grasses are chosen that require less water.

The water that is used to clean off the maintenance machines is recycled. Once sprayed off, the water runs into drains where it is collected and cleaned. The grass runoff is also collected and as used as compost.

"It's definitely more of a challenge. I take a lot of pride in it and my staff. Take a lot of pride in the fact that we can supply the conditions that we do," Cummins said.

"Some of the 172 acres are literally cared for by hand. These tall grasses along the fairway are allowed to grow wildly, encouraging native plants to grow, and then they are weeded by hand," Cummins said.

To become an Audubon-sanctioned golf course, grounds keepers must design and implement a plan that includes environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction, water conservation and water quality management.

For their efforts, participating golf courses "improve environmental performance and community relations, reduce liability, save money and contribute to the conservation of the environment," according to the Audubon Society Web site.