Marriott Golf announced that Cattails at MeadowView Golf Course, in Kingsport, Tenn., is the latest property to achieve certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. This marks the 24th Marriott Golf managed property to achieve Audubon Certification, as part of the Company’s green initiatives. By the end of 2008, 25 managed golf properties in North America and the Caribbean will become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.
Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, which enable golf facilities to protect the environment by enhancing precious natural areas and wildlife habitats, are part of a systemwide commitment by Marriott International to promote environmental stewardship. In order to achieve Audubon Certification, a golf facility is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in several areas including Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.
As part of its certification, Cattails at MeadowView Golf Course formed a nine-person Audubon Advisory Committee, which was in charge of implementing and maintaining various environmental initiatives throughout the property. The committee planted a butterfly garden which features native plants, many of which were donated by committee members. Additionally, the Cattails team worked with the Kingsport Senior Center Photography Group to take photos of the property, which were submitted to Audubon International as part of the certification.
A Denis Griffiths design, Cattails at MeadowView Golf Course features Bermuda fairways and Bentgrass greens, boasting picturesque holes lying at the base of scenic Bays Mountain. Displaying a moderate number of sand bunkers, a winding stream, six beautiful lakes, wide fairways and large putting greens, it is a fair yet challenging test of golf, and is recognized as one of the top golf courses in the Tennessee region.
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, and Southeast Asia have achieved certification in the program.
