For years the Innisfail Golf Club has been designated as a certified Audubon Sanctuary for demonstrating a high degree of environmental quality.
To be certified under Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses the local golf club must demonstrate environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and water quality management.
Innisfail Golf Club is just one of 886 golf clubs from around the world currently certified. It is something the local business takes pride in, club superintendent Dwayne Simpson said.
When the local golf course expanded to 27 holes, a five-acre wetland was preserved. No golfers are allowed in the wetland, just wildlife.
“It's basically an environmentally friendly area. Nobody goes in those areas. It is just for wildlife,” Simpson said. “It's amazing the population of frogs and ducks and that sort of thing. It's just amazing the amount of animals out there.”
The golf course also holds over 100 birdhouses, including those that act as 150-yard markers for each hole. Special attention is paid to safety and recently, as part of its commitment to outreach and education, schoolchildren from St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School took a tour of the course to see the wildlife and also to take some putts on one of the greens.
The golf course was first certified as a Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses in 2004, a representative from Audubon International confirmed. The golf course goes through the certification process every couple of years. The golf course maintained its distinction in 2011. It will go through the certification process again in 2013.
