The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System now boasts 82 fully certified North American golf courses as members. More than 200 facilities are in various stages of certification, with the number of inquiries and enrollees soaring. They're areas that are out of play, so we just let 'em go. They were once unsightly, but now they're attractive with all the wild growth. We have something we call sighting boxes situated near the wildlife areas.
Golfers can put down whatever kind of wildlife they see, and when, and make notes about it.
We wondered what some of the golfers would think. A golf facility in its entirety must commit to the Sanctuary System program. Everyone from the owner's office to bag boys tends to have a role in its applications. The six-step Sanctuary System process itself is a comprehensive, methodical program that involves, fundamentally, the golf course superintendent. Environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, integrated pest management, water conservation and water quality management are all areas of emphasis, and all areas presided over by the superintendent's staff.