Newport Dunes Golf Club receives Audubon environmental recognition

The Newport Dunes Golf Club has been awarded Certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

The program, an effort by Audubon International, helps landowners preserve and enhance the environmental quality of their property. The program is sponsored in part by the United States Golf Association.

Audubon International is an environmental organization with a mission to educate and assist in efforts to sustain land, water and wildlife resources.

“The open space of a golf course is utilized not only by golfers but is habitat for a variety of wildlife species,” Audubon International ecologist Jim Sluiter stated in a news release issued by the organization. “We welcome Newport Dunes Golf Club’s commitment to the environment and to managing the golf course with wildlife in mind.”

Newport gained the distinction for taking measures including re-circulation of irrigation water, planting large amounts of native vegetation and using “almost zero” pesticides,” said Jim Brown, superintendent of the golf course.

Kevin Michael, general manager at the golf course, said folks at Newport Dunes are delighted by the certification.

“We are very, very excited about receiving this,” Michael said. “It certainly reflects on the hard work by course staff.”

The certification is one step in the process of becoming certified as an Aububon Sanctuary by the end of this year or early next year, Michael said. The course is submitting various environmental plans in order to gain that distinction, he said.