Sustainability starts with leadership

Southworth, a family-owned developer of private members clubs, ensured sustainability and conservation are at the top of their priority list by hiring a director of sustainability.

Eleanor Brown started in the role in July 2022 and has continued to elevate standards at the company’s six clubs. 

Southworth owns Massachusetts clubs Willowbend and Renaissance, Scotland’s Machrihanish Dunes, New Hampshire’s Meredith Bay, Virginia’s Creighton Farms and The Abaco Club in the Bahamas.

Brown meets the superintendents where they are, learning their operations and strategies. “It’s just a continuing relationship, really,” she says. “I continue to learn and see what they’re working on, and then I’m also doing research on new types of technologies that could make the practices even better.”

She oversees projects and initiatives at each course, working as a one-woman team. Renaissance, an 18-hole

Brian Silva design in Haverhill, Massachusetts, recently planted a “mini forest” acting as a fence on the property lines. The project was led by superintendent Chip Fitzgerald.

The trees planted were either taken from other parts of the property or were species native to the area. The facility also hosts on-site composting and a bee farm. The bees’ honey is used for both consumption and data collection on the surrounding environment. Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virginia, an 18-hole

Jack Nicklaus design, has also earned Audubon International certification through environmental preservation.

One of Brown’s biggest goals includes becoming plastic-free across all the golf courses. While the courses still use plastic water bottles to some extent, Brown is working with each course to find a solution. “It’s really key to understand the different characteristics of each property and its members so that we can identify projects that are impactful and easy to implement,” she says. “We have independent solutions that we’re trying out at each property.”

At Willowbend, a private 27-hole facility in Cape Cod, water dispensers are located throughout the course, and the club has begun promoting the use of refillable bottles. The club also removed plastic bottles from the fitness center, replacing them with aluminum bottles, which is a potential end goal for all the courses to use.

The Abaco parrot, known to be an endangered species, has become a top priority at The Abaco Club on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Brown has been working with

Dr. Caroline Stahala-Walker , a dedicated scientist on the forefront of Bahama parrot protection, to begin conservation efforts for the bird on the golf course, including data collection on the species. The pair are also discussing which trees to reserve on the course to support the bird population, based on whether the parrot might eat from them.

Southworth’s clubs can take multiple aspects of operations in the right direction through Brown’s leadership.

Brown’s passion for the environment began from a young age. Growing up in south Louisiana, she spent most of her time outdoors. As a kid, she assisted in an early wildlife management program working with endangered species. She was a high school senior in 2005 when hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit. “That just kind of changed everything,” Brown says. “I wanted to understand everything about nature and what was going on and what might be changing.”

The environmental steward went on to study marine science and environmental studies. After finishing her undergraduate studies, she attended law school. She then worked seven years as a litigator.

Everything helped prepare her for her current role. 

“Being a director of sustainability in a company is actually bringing everyone else on board,” Brown says. “Sustainability can be applicable to every corner of a business’ operations.

“My background taught me how to step outside my comfort zone, adapt to different personalities and work toward uniting everyone around a shared goal. Those experiences have translated directly into the work I do in this role.”