The Bay Club at Mattapoisett (Mass.) met the stringent qualifications to be designated an Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary. It now becomes one of only 66 golf courses worldwide and the only one in Massachusetts to earn the elite Silver designation.
Silver Signature certification recognizes a golf club’s commitment to such requirements as habitat enhancement and wildlife conservation as well as the efficiency of water and energy use.
Audubon International, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to encouraging individuals and groups to take personal responsibility to preserve the environment. One of its key missions is to promote the enhancement of the natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide. The organization works closely with all types of new land developments, and for its Silver Sanctuary program, developments which feature both golf and other amenities as well as individual residences.
“This designation fulfills a personal goal as well as the long term wishes, expressed by the owner-members of the Bay Club, to make their club a sanctuary in harmony with the environment,” says Jon O’Connor, Bay Club course superintendent.
The Bay Club incorporates 625 acres in the Town of Mattapoisett, much of it pine/oak/maple forest. Of that total acreage, the golf course and club facilities occupy 155 acres and 270 acres are available for residential properties. Another 200 acres are permanently committed to open space. Mattapoisett resident David McIntire and his family consigned an additional 300 acres of adjacent land for conservation and protection of the Eastern Box Turtle habitat.
“Based on the acreage of the project and surrounding area plus our goal to preserve a natural habitat for birds and other wildlife, we felt we had a significant opportunity to make a difference,” says Bay Club general manager Craig Fleming. “So Jon, along with our consultants and contractors started early working with Audubon International”
Recently, a member of the local Audubon Chapter accompanied several Bay Club Members on a one-day bird watch in conjunction with the North American Bird Watch Open. This national bird count focuses on migratory birds and the role that golf courses can play in preserving habitat. They identified 58 species on the Bay Club property including a Caspian Tern, a rare local sighting of this migratory specie.
“We hope that’s just one early indication of this program’s success,” Fleming says. “The entire membership is behind this effort. Everyone likes the idea that we can simultaneously care for the environment, provide a sanctuary for birds and other wildlife in harmony with the golf course. This enhances the golfing experience for all the members.”