All nine golf courses operated by the county have achieved the prestigious “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” status.
This certification, awarded by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), places these courses among an elite group of only 750 golf courses worldwide.
The most recent courses to receive certification are Sligo Creek in Silver Spring, Falls Road in Potomac, Hampshire Greens in Ashton, and Rattlewood in Mount Airy. The other county golf courses that have attained this status are Needwood in Derwood, Laytonsville, Little Bennett in Clarksburg, Northwest in Silver Spring, and The Crossvines in Poolesville.
The certification announcement coincided with the county’s recognition of April 22 as “Earth Day 2024.”
To earn the ACSP certification, a course must demonstrate excellence in several areas, including environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
The four recently certified courses, Sligo Creek, Falls Road, Hampshire Greens, and Rattlewood, qualified by implementing a range of specific environmental practices. These include providing wildlife habitats, protecting water features with vegetative buffers, utilizing low-maintenance grasses, conducting water-quality testing, and educating golfers and the community about sustainability practices.
The Little Bennett course became the first ACSP-certified course in the Montgomery County Golf system in 2000; Needwood has been a certified sanctuary course for ten years.
“This certification is not just an award, but a demonstration of our unwavering dedication to environmental preservation and sustainable practices,” Montgomery County Revenue Authority chief executive officer Keith Miller said in a press release. “Our team’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing the natural beauty and biodiversity of our courses ensures a lasting legacy of sustainability.”
The U.S. Golf Association endorses the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses and has certified courses worldwide, including in Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
“I’m proud of our teams for all achieving ACSP certification,” said MCG director of agronomy Jon Lobenstine, who led the efforts with course superintendents to certify the courses. “It is a testament to the good work they have been doing for many years. The net benefit for the county is having green space that serves not only as an important recreational outlet for our residents, but also an environmental habitat for the many creatures that share our neighborhoods.”
For more information about MCG, visit mcggolf.com.
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