Apes Hill Barbados, a 475-acre property on the island’s west coast, has achieved Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf certification for its 18-hole championship course from Audubon International.
The 18-hole championship golf course at Apes Hill Barbados was designed by Ron Kirby and opened for play in November 2022. While this certification is for golf, that is just one of many environmental best practices at the amenity-rich luxury resort residential community that is setting an inspiring, elevated standard in the Caribbean.
“Achieving Audubon International certification illuminates our sustainability commitment which is foundational to everything we do here,” executive chair Sunil Chatrani said. “We didn’t just build another green sustainable golf course; we’re building an eco-system rooted in responsible behavior that puts our people, our wildlife, and our planet first.”
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf educates course managers on environmentally sound management techniques across six focus areas: site assessment and environmental planning, wildlife habitat management, water conservation, water quality, chemical use reduction and safety, and outreach and education. By becoming certified, courses receive third-party verification of their sustainability efforts — a win-win for the course and environment alike.
Following are some environmental initiatives that Audubon International commended Apes Hill Barbados for implementing:
- Irrigating exclusively with captured rainwater
- Reducing irrigation use
- Expanding acreage that requires less irrigation, like mulch beds, drought tolerant vegetation, and low maintenance vegetation
- Planting drought-tolerant turf and vegetation
- Upgrading irrigation system to improve efficiency and distribution
- Analyzing weather data prior to irrigating
- Monitoring irrigation system to ensure efficiency and distribution patterns
- Installing part-circle heads to help eliminate water from going on cart paths and/or native areas
- Improving soil and turf health by using proper cultural practices including mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and compaction management
- Reducing overall chemical inputs by expanding acreage not requiring chemical treatment
- Introducing a new variety of turf that is less susceptible to disease
- Applying slow-release and organic fertilizers
With 60 acres dedicated to farming livestock, along with 30 beehives, vegetable gardens, and 17 acres for fruit trees, Apes Hills Barbados is dedicated to preserving biodiversity. Planting passion fruit, lime trees, and other local trees helps reinforce a vibrant ecosystem.
“Apes Hill Barbados is burgeoning as a modern-luxury, environmentally responsible resort community that is unmatched in the Caribbean,” Chatrani said.
The course is located on the island’s most elevated terrain with panoramic views of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
