Aussie super receives top international award
12 April 2006
Australian superintendent, Mr Ben Marshall, has been awarded the 2006 International Environmental Leader in Golf Award, presented at the conference of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in Atlanta.
Sponsored by Syngenta, in conjunction with Rainbird, this is the world’s most prestigious environmental award for golf courses. It recognises golf course superintendents and their courses for overall environmental management excellence and Mr Marshall is the first in the southern hemisphere to claim the title.
Nominations are judged by an independent panel of industry specialists representing national environmental groups, turfgrass experts, university research and members of the golf community. The areas in which nominations are assessed include resource conservation, water quality management, integrated pest management, wildlife/habitat management and education. Each of these categories is judged on sustainability, criticality, originality and technology implementation.
Mr Marshall has been the superintendent at Club Pelican Golf Course in Golden Beach, Queensland, since half way through its construction in 2000. The course is an 18-hole facility built by Greg Norman, which includes 110 acres of terrestrial plant communities with 76 acres of native rough and wetlands and is home to 146 bird species.
Mr Marshall said that while many golf courses may implement a number of environmental practices, Club Pelican Golf Course packages all of them into one complete management plan.
“Our strong environmental values and corresponding sound management strategies have enabled us to construct a golf course that compliments its surrounding habitat and does not have any adverse effects on the environment,” he said.
“Our plan contains innovative environmentally sustainable principles that address all potential environmental issues for the course.”
Club Pelican has processes in place that meet the criteria of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, which the club has been a member of since 2004. A program developed to educate, recognise and showcase environmental excellence in golf course management, Audubon International is an organisation based in the US.
Club Pelican has been working towards full accreditation with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program and is currently awaiting feedback on the completion of its final certification task and will be only the fourth golf course in Australia to become fully certified.
Mr Marshall is well known nationally for his outstanding environmental golf course practices, having won the 2005 Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association Claude Crockford Award for Environmental Golf Course Management, which Syngenta now also sponsors, as well as the 2005 Superintendent’s Environmental Award from the Queensland Golf Industry.
“My goal is to demonstrate that golf courses are no longer always an environmental villain; instead they can be an environmental asset, which Club Pelican demonstrates,” Mr Marshall said.
“It is a world class golf course that provides natural habitat for wildlife and does not compromise the environment.”
Mr Marshall said that although he knew Club Pelican had an outstanding environmental management program, he was not expecting to win the International Environmental Leader in Golf Award.
“I entered hoping we could learn more about what other golf courses around the world are doing to look after the environment, so I was very surprised we won!
“This is the world’s top environmental award and it is mind blowing to win it,” Mr Marshall said.
“It is a massive achievement and it highlights and rewards the efforts we’re making at Club Pelican.”
Syngenta Business Manager – Turf, Mr Sam Hole, said Syngenta was extremely proud to have an Australian win the prestigious award.
“This award is renowned worldwide and to have Ben win it is a huge credit to him and his colleagues at Club Pelican,” he said.
“It is great to know Australian courses are leading the way when it comes to environmental management practices; congratulations to Ben and Club Pelican on showcasing this to the rest of the world.”