DIGEST
07
E
agles Pride Golf
Course, a U.S.
military course
near Tacoma, Wash., is the
1000th golf course in the
world to receive designation
as a “Certified Audubon
Cooperative Sanctuary.”
The golf course is located
at Washington state’s
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
(JBLM), the Defense
Department’s largest
military installation on the
West Coast.
The Audubon Cooperative
Sanctuary Program for Golf
Courses (ACSP), which is
endorsed by the United
States Golf Association, is
an environmental education
and certification program
that provides technical
assistance and guidance
to help courses protect the
environment, preserve golf’s
natural heritage, and gain
recognition for their efforts.
Since being established in
1991, ACSP membership
(including facilities working
towards certification) has
grown to more than 2,300
golf courses in the United
States and 36 countries
worldwide.
“We are very proud to have
earned this in recognition
of our commitment
to sustainability and
environmental stewardship,
especially since we are the
second Army and fifth
Department of Defense golf
course to be so honored
worldwide,” said Joint
Base Commander Colonel
H. Charles Hodges, Jr.
“This certification is a
significant honor as a
tangible recognition of
our commitment at JBLM
to sustainability and
responsible stewardship.
We look forward to working
closely with Audubon
International in our efforts
toward ensuring all future
generations have an
environmentally friendly
place to work and play.”
Audubon certifies 1000th course
ASGCA architects back at La Costa
Environment
Renovation
ASGCA Past President
Damian Pascuzzo is about
to begin a second major
renovation project at La
Costa Resort and Spa in
Carlsbad, Calif. ASCGA Past
President Jeff Brauer will
collaborate on the project.
Pascuzzo, working with
Brauer, led the remodel
of La Costa’s Champions
Course in 2011. The new
project will affect all 18
holes on the current South
Course, which closed at
the start of May for the
start of construction.
Renamed the Legends
Course, the new layout will
reopen in late 2013.
While the routing by golf
architect Dick Wilson will
remain intact, the makeover
includes a complete
reconstruction and redesign
of all 18 greens, as well
as a thorough resurfacing
of tee complexes, all-new
bunkering, and the planting
of paspalum turfgrass in the
fairways. Once complete,
the Legends Course will
be more spacious than the
Champions Course, with
a more open look, while
providing a complementary
set of strategic challenges
and a variety of visual
encounters.
“We have a lot of respect for
La Costa’s original routing
and intend to maintain its
integrity,” said Pascuzzo. “Our
goal with the Legends Course
is to give golfers a completely
different type of golf course
to play at La Costa. We want
to keep it fun and interesting,
with different visuals and
some subtle nuances around
the greens.”
Growth in golf
vacations
A report from the International
Association of Golf Tour
Operators (IAGTO) has
shown an average growth
of nine per cent in the golf
holiday sales industry over
the past year. The inaugural
IAGTO Annual Golf Tourism
Report found that the average
sales growth in 2012
increased by 9.4 per cent
compared to the previous
year in Europe and the
global average proved to be
9.3 per cent. North America
however saw an even more
significant rise, recording
13.5 per cent compared
to the year previously, while
the Asia Pacific region
saw a rise of 5.1 per cent.
Operators in Latin America,
the Middle East and Africa
all reported growth in excess
of 20 per cent.
Dubai to announce
new sustainability
regulations
The government of Dubai
will shortly announce new
regulations on sustainability
that will impact on property
developments, including
those featuring golf. Majida
Ali Rashid of the Dubai Land
Department told a recent
press conference that a
group of experts specialising
in sustainability would be
created to manage the
program. “The pillars will
be economic, social and
environmental,” she said.
Audubon reaches landmark at Eagles Pride
