Green Daily

If you're a serious golfer (or a bad golfer with money to burn), you're probably no stranger to Marriott golf courses. Dispersed throughout the US, Canadian, and the Caribbean, they're some of the best in the world -- often used for PGA events (like the WGC-CA Championship coming up this weekend).

The next time you set foot on one of these fancy-shmancy greens, it'll be a little bit...well...greener. Marriott has launched a program to make all of their courses "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries" -- which means that any facility under the company's umbrella will be required to "demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in several areas including Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach & Education, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management."

This is great -- because let's be honest, you probably suck at golf. The real fun of the game is getting outside and spending a few hours enjoying a leisurely outdoor stroll -- from the tee, to the rough, to the bunker, to the rough, to another bunker, and then back to the clubhouse for a couple of beers.

Full release and (kind of cheesy) video from Marriott golf after the jump.



Marriott Golf Goes Green - 34 Courses To Meet 2008 Audubon Certification

Marriott Announces Mandate Program for all Managed Golf Properties Throughout North America and the Caribbean to Become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries in 2008

ORLANDO, Fla., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott Golf, one of the world's premier golf operators, today announced new standards requiring 34 of the company's managed golf courses throughout North America and the Caribbean to become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, by year end 2008.

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,
Inc. (NYSE: MAR) to promote environmental stewardship. Marriott's Audubon Certification mandate program includes 34 golf courses at 25 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, including famed golf destinations such as Doral Golf Resort & Spa, in Miami, Florida; Royal St. Kitts Golf Club in the British West Indies; and Shadow Ridge Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, among others. In fact, Doral, host of the 2008 WGC-CA Championship, March 20-23, will become the first-ever Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in North America to host a World Golf Championships event.

For a look behind the scenes at the Audubon Certification process and the vision behind the program, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azq_woGZMqo .

"Marriott Golf is proud to be part of the company's broader green initiatives by supporting Audubon Certification, golf's environmental gold standard," said Robert Waller, senior director of grounds, Marriott Golf. "Our goal is to engage our guests and associates from around the world in this unique process and to further our commitment to promoting the game of golf in an eco-friendly way."

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 & Education, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.

Marriott International has been actively involved in energy conservation since the 1980's, and over the last decade launched environmental clean-up projects around the world, replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, introduced linen reuse programs, and
installed 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets at its hotels worldwide. Recently, Marriott's headquarters in Bethesda, along with its timeshare division based in Orlando, Fla., replaced more than 2.5 million pieces of
Styrofoam and plastic utensils with those made of potato ("SpudWare(TM)"), sugar cane and cornstarch, all fully biodegradable within an average of 100 days. These industry-leading efforts have been recognized by the EPA, who awarded Marriott with its 2008 Sustained Excellence award and placed the ENERGY STAR(R) label on more than 200 of its hotels (the most of any hotel company).

Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries for golf courses, which are endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provide information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. To date, and in advance of the 2008 mandate initiative, Marriott Golf maintains six properties that operate as Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, including:

-- Stone Mountain Golf Club in Stone Mountain, Georgia
-- Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida
-- The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Florida
-- The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida
-- Grande Pines Golf Club in Orlando, Florida
-- The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida

Each of these properties have achieved certification through a variety of methods, including the development of water conservation plans; converting formerly managed turf into wildlife habitat; constructing nesting boxes for native birds; the creation of butterfly gardens, and much more.

"We are elated with the level of commitment Marriott is showing by mandating Audubon Certification across their portfolio of golf courses," said Kevin Fletcher, executive director of Audubon International. "This program directly enables golf courses to protect the environment by improving the quality of land, water, and air, along with conserving natural resources and protecting wildlife habitats. These proven environmental management practices will help preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf for many generations to come."