In recognition of their commitment to environmental stewardship, Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., and its (GCSAA) Class A golf course superintendent, James Roney Jr., have been named the overall winner of the 2008 GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards (ELGA).
"This year's winners are to be commended for their commitment to environmental stewardship on the golf course," GCSAA President David Downing II, CGCS, says. "They, along with their facilities, have demonstrated that golf courses can be compatible with the environment, and in many cases enhance it."
Judges selected winners in three national categories (public, private and resort courses), and an international winner, with an overall winner selected from those four. Recognition was given to the top entry from each GCSAA-affiliated chapter, and merit honors were awarded to those who did not earn national or chapter honors but deserved special recognition in the opinion of the judges.
Golf course superintendents and their courses that have been named national, chapter or merit winners will be formally recognized during the Opening Session of the 2009 GCSAA Education Conference, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show in New Orleans in February. In addition, program sponsors will make donations to The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA, in the names of all national and chapter winners.
The Environmental Leaders in Golf Award recognizes golf course superintendents and their courses for overall course management excellence in the areas of resource conservation, water quality management, integrated pest management, wildlife/habitat management and education/outreach. In addition, these categories are judged on sustainability, criticality, originality and technology implementation/use. An independent panel of judges representing national environmental groups, turfgrass experts, university research and members of the golf community conducted the award selection.
The national winners include (facility, location, chapter):
National Private & Overall: James J. Roney Jr., Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa., Philadelphia Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Roney, a 15-year GCSAA member, is a GCSAA Class A member and director of golf courses and grounds at Saucon Valley Country Club. He procured Growing Greener grants totaling $391,202 from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to complete a fluvial geomorphic characterization stream assessment, trout habitat assessment and streambank restoration and stabilization plan for the 2.3 miles of Saucon Creek that flows through the country club's property. Roney completed 1,700 lineal feet of streambank restoration in 2008.
National Public: David Phipps, Stone Creek Golf Course, Oregon City, Ore., Oregon GCSA
Phipps, a nine-year GCSAA member, is a GCSAA Class A superintendent at Stone Creek Golf Course in Oregon City, Ore. He is a three-time ELGA chapter winner and has been a merit winner as well. Stone Creek is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and signage around the course is an important part of Phipps' communication process. He works with the local Audubon Society to provide annual birding and golf course tours for sixth graders. Phipps also teaches a class called "Golf course-quality lawns" to inform local residents how to properly care and cultivate their lawns using environmentally sustainable practices. The National Association of Conservative Districts is developing the program into a nationwide public outreach initiative.
National Resort: Joel Blaker, CGCS, Tahoe Mountain Club, Truckee, Calif., Sierra Nevada GCSA
Blaker, a 20-year GCSAA member, is a CGCS and serves as director of agronomy for Tahoe Mountain Club's three golf courses in Truckee, Calif.: Coyote Moon, Old Greenwood and Gray's Crossing. He is a previous ELGA chapter and merit winner, plus his assistant at Old Greenwood Golf Course, Jonathan Moulton, was the 2007 national resort winner, and his superintendent at The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing, Mike Cornette, is a past private chapter and merit winner. Blaker has a full-time natural resource manager on staff who leads popular and well-attended weekly hikes on property trails for members to learn about the natural environment of the Sierra, as well as the cutting-edge management techniques used by the golf course superintendents at Tahoe Mountain Club.
International: Robin Sadler, Silvertip Resort, Canmore, Alberta, Canada
Sadler, a five-year GCSAA member, is a GCSAA superintendent at Silvertip Resort in Canmore, Alberta. He has been there for 12 years, helping to build and grow-in the golf course. Silvertip is located outside of Calgary in the Central Canadian Rocky Mountains, next to Banff National Park. Situated 5,000 feet above sea level with 600 feet of elevation change on the golf course, Sadler faces many challenges growing turf in the five-month golf season at an exclusive resort with high expectations for aesthetics and playing conditions.
Winners of the ELGA program will be featured in an upcoming issue of Golf Digest magazine and GCSAA’s Golf Course Management magazine. Syngenta Professional Products and Rain Bird Corp. - Golf Division are the presenting partners of the award.
In addition to the national winners, 14 chapter winners as well as six merit winners were selected from GCSAA’s 101 affiliated chapters.
2008 ELGA Chapter Winners include:
Public Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• Paul Grogan, CGCS, TPC Deere Run, East Moline, Ill., Iowa GCSA
• D. Cord Ozment, CGCS, Callippe Preserve Golf Course, San Ramon, Calif., California GCSA
• Jason Kubel, TPC Tampa Bay, Odessa, Fla., Florida West Coast GCSA
• Robert Makowski, Bird Creek Golf Club, Port Austin, Mich., Michigan GCSA
• Timothy P. Powers, CGCS, Crystal Springs Golf Course, Burlingame, Calif., GCSA of Northern California
• Mark Krick, CGCS, The Homestead, Lakewood, Colo., Rocky Mountain GCSA
Private Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• Jeffrey Burgoyne, CGCS, The Club at Twin Eagles, Lehigh Acres, Fla., Florida GCSA
• Dale Hahn, CGCS, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev., Southern Nevada GCSA
• Jim Thomas, CGCS, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn., Tennessee GCSA
• Todd E. Bunte, TPC Jasna Polana, Princeton, N.J., GCSA of New Jersey
• Roger Stewart, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn., Minnesota GCSA
• R. Shane Wright, CGCS, Vero Beach (Fla.) Country Club, Treasure Coast GCSA
Resort Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• Christopher Flynn, CGCS, Grande Pines Golf Club, Altamonte Springs, Fla, Central Florida GCSA
• R. Jeff Plotts, TPC Scottsdale (Ariz.), Cactus and Pine GCSA
2008 ELGA Merit Winners include:
Public Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• Gary Ingram, CGCS, Metropolitan Golf Links, Oakland, Calif., GCSA of Northern California
Private Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• John Kulka, TPC Michigan, Dearborn, Mich., Michigan GCSA
• Michael Brower, Minnesota Valley Country Club, Bloomington, Minn., Minnesota GCSA
• David Davies, CGCS, TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae, Union City, Calif., GCSA of Northern California
Resort Facilities (facility, location, chapter)
• Chad Corp, The Legend, Bellaire, Mich., Michigan GCSA
International Facilities (facility, location)
• Rodney J. Mckeown, National Service Resort and Country Club, Kranji Sanctuary, Singapore