Everyone expects golf courses to be green. Some, however, are "greener" than others. The Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Lewis County's Stonewall Resort is one of the greener courses you'll find.
ROANOKE, W.Va. - Everyone expects golf courses to be green. Some, however, are "greener" than others. The Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Lewis County's Stonewall Resort is one of the greener courses you'll find.
The course's keepers maintain special wildlife corridors that allow deer, turkeys, bobcats and other creatures to roam the 18-hole, 7,124-yard layout. Special buffer zones around the course's water hazards protect shore-nesting birds and resident amphibians. Technicians closely monitor irrigation levels and runoff to keep chemicals and fertilizers from contaminating nearby Stonewall Jackson Lake.
The work hasn't gone unnoticed. Audubon International recently re-certified the Palmer Course as an Audubon Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. Courses come up for re-certification every two years, and this was the second such cycle in the course's seven-year history.
"The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program," said Jim Sluiter, an Audubon staff ecologist. "The folks there are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf-course property."
Resort officials knew when they began construction on the course that they were building in an area that teems with wildlife. They planned accordingly.
"People tend to think of golf courses as being environmentally unfriendly," said Chad Clovis, Stonewall's director of facilities. "We wanted to show that a golf course could not only be built and maintained to be environmentally responsible, but also to show environmental leadership."
To qualify for the Audubon certification, the course's greenskeepers had to demonstrate that they were conserving water, that they were minimizing fertilizer and chemical runoff, that they were actively reducing the amount of chemicals they otherwise might have employed, that they were creating wildlife habitat, and that they were making an effort to educate others about wildlife conservation.
ROANOKE, W.Va. - Everyone expects golf courses to be green. Some, however, are "greener" than others. The Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Lewis County's Stonewall Resort is one of the greener courses you'll find.
The course's keepers maintain special wildlife corridors that allow deer, turkeys, bobcats and other creatures to roam the 18-hole, 7,124-yard layout. Special buffer zones around the course's water hazards protect shore-nesting birds and resident amphibians. Technicians closely monitor irrigation levels and runoff to keep chemicals and fertilizers from contaminating nearby Stonewall Jackson Lake.
The work hasn't gone unnoticed. Audubon International recently re-certified the Palmer Course as an Audubon Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. Courses come up for re-certification every two years, and this was the second such cycle in the course's seven-year history.
"The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program," said Jim Sluiter, an Audubon staff ecologist. "The folks there are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf-course property."
Resort officials knew when they began construction on the course that they were building in an area that teems with wildlife. They planned accordingly.
"People tend to think of golf courses as being environmentally unfriendly," said Chad Clovis, Stonewall's director of facilities. "We wanted to show that a golf course could not only be built and maintained to be environmentally responsible, but also to show environmental leadership."
To qualify for the Audubon certification, the course's greenskeepers had to demonstrate that they were conserving water, that they were minimizing fertilizer and chemical runoff, that they were actively reducing the amount of chemicals they otherwise might have employed, that they were creating wildlife habitat, and that they were making an effort to educate others about wildlife conservation.
"We've been doing those things from the get-go," Clovis said. "The primary rough areas of the golf course are maintained as 'wildlife corridors' where animals can feed and move about without exposing themselves to predators. We maintain birdhouses and bat houses throughout the course. We keep a close eye on water use and water quality. And we have an outreach program that allows us to share our expertise with the kids at Roanoke Elementary School."
The clubhouse's pro shop displays the Audubon certificates, along with a collection of wildlife photographs taken on and around the course. Tee markers on the first and 18th holes feature wooden signs proclaiming the course's certification.
"We're one of just 635 courses in the world to receive this certification, and one of only five in West Virginia," Clovis said.
Other Mountain State honorees include the Cress Creek Country Club in Shepherdstown, the Raven Course in Snowshoe, The Greenbrier Course at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, and the Snead Course at The Greenbrier Sporting Club in White Sulphur Springs.
As rigorous as the certification requirements are, Clovis said he found Audubon representatives surprisingly easy to work with. "The course's deer herd became badly overpopulated and we had to hold a limited-access hunt [last year] to thin them out," he explained. "We were worried that the Audubon folks might object, but they were very understanding."
Sam England, superintendent of Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park, believes the Palmer Course's extra environmental touches help contribute to a "unique golf experience."
"This is one of the few places you can come and play and not have to look at houses, highways and other examples of urban sprawl. The fairways wind through a natural landscape. It's just you, the course, the hills, the lake and the wildlife."
Reach John McCoy at johnmc...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1231.
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