Neshanic Valley Golf Course designed by Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design of Columbus, Ohio, has achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. Neshanic Valley is the 24th course in New Jersey, and just the 704th in the world to receive this prestigious honor.
According to Jim Sluiter, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, “Neshanic Valley has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property.” Sluiter went on to explain, “To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas.” These categories include: environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction, and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
Darrell Marcinek, director of golf maintenance for the Somerset County Park Commission said, “We are honored to be part of an elite group of golf courses dedicated to preserving and promoting the environment. The entire staff at Neshanic Valley, under the guidance of Jesse Sholl, Tammy Stephens, Ed Highland, Tom Marshall, and Andrew Hojnowski, has done a tremendous job pursuing and obtaining certification with Audubon. Our sincere thanks go out to everyone involved.”
Dr. Michael Hurdzan, president of Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design said, “We are proud of our work at Neshanic Valley, and very happy for everyone in Somerset County. Our goal on all our projects is as our name suggests, ‘To preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources on the land upon which we design and build golf courses.’ Neshanic Valley is a testament to our goals.”