Clarksville, Tenn. – Thanks to the planning of Certified Golf Course Superintendent Wendell Nealon, the greens and fairways at Swan Lake Golf Course in Tennessee’s top spot are a little greener. And they have the stamp of approval from Audubon International to prove it.
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The Swan Lake course has been designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary – one of only eight in Tennessee and about 684 in the world. The award-winning Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program helps golf courses develop and implement plans to protect the environment and preserve the natural heritage of the surrounding landscape.
The designation is the result of three years of hard work by Nealon and his turf team. It is the second such designation for Nealon, who previously helped another course earn the ACSP. Nealon also earned three environmental stewardship awards (1997, 1998 and 1999) from the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America and a 1999 environmental conservation award from the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“We are proud of the work Nealon and his team have put into making Swan Lake one of the most beautiful and enjoyable golf courses in the area, and also for protecting our natural resources,” said Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper. “The methods they have used not only protect the environment, but they reduce waste, create a healthier environment for golfers and save taxpayer money in operating the course.”
“To attain certification for the ACSP-Golf, course management had to demonstrate they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas” said Jim Sluiter, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs. “Those included site assessment and environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.”
In 2005, Nealon and his team conducted an environmental site assessment, then developed a plan for environmental management and then got to work. Over the course of the next three years, they implemented the plan and documented their results as required for eligibility as a Audubon Sanctuary.
“We’re proving that a golf course can co-exist with the nature around it without being a chemical-application nightmare,” said Nealon. “I have been a golf course superintendent for 35 years, and have considered myself an outdoorsman and conservationist all my life. To receive one of these awards is great, but to have earned two of them is a tremendous honor.”
Some of the practices they have begun are to designate buffer zones around water features on the course to protect surface water sources. They have implemented no-mow zones from 7 to 30 feet of water features to attract wildlife, and a secondary no-mow buffer of 20 feet where no chemical or fertilizer are used that could run off into the water.
Also, instead of using city water for the greens and fairways, the turf team pumps water from the adjacent Swan Lake. The water is not only cheaper, but it is better for the grass because it doesn’t contain chlorine.
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Eleven separate wildlife areas have been created on the course where grass and underbrush is allowed to grow to conserve natural habitats for animals and to prevent pollution. Turf Team members monitor and document the changes to the wildlife on the course in preparation for ACSP recertification that is required every two years.
“Occasionally the workers, and even golfers, find baby deer abandoned in the tall grass,” said Nealon. “The mother leaves them there while she forages for food, then returns for the babies when she is finished. It’s like a natural deer day-care.
Birdhouses have been built from recycled wood and installed on the grounds. The team even has plans that are being reviewed for a bat house that will soon be built. An added benefit of birds returning to the course is that purple martins and bats are natural predators of mosquitoes. Tree trimmings are placed in small piles out of sight of the golfers as potential animal habitats. And old tires are being used for squirrel nests.
“Receiving ACSP is not the end of the process,” said Nealon, “it is only the first step. The course has to be recertified every two years. We have ongoing programs in place that will protect our natural resources for many future generations.”
Swan Lake completed the certification just in time to unveil the wildlife features at the 30th Annual Clarksville Mayor’s Golf Classic that will be held Sept. 19 and 2009. The tournament brings together the largest field of amateur players in the area and is the last golf event of the year that offers points for the local Tournament of Champions.
In a gradual process, Nealon and the Turf Team at Swan Lake allowed approximately 11 acres of the 100-acre course to grow wild with native grass.
Clarksville is Tennessee’s fifth largest and third fastest growing city and is the ninth fastest growing city in the U.S. Clarksville is proud to claim the title of Tennessee’s Top Spot. For more news and information, visit www.cityofclarksville.com or contact the mayor’s office at 931-645-7444.
