Golf Inc - March/April 2009 - (Page 43) The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge REDMOND, WASH. vent and 400 gallons of oil each year and installing one mile of bulkheads to reduce sediment run-off into lakes. Another new initiative involved recycling waste -- dealing with the trash disposed of at the course. When beginning these efforts Hughes said he realized he didn’t have all the answers and not much knowledge. “What does the word ‘green’ really mean?” he said. “One person couldn’t do it alone. We reached out to an environmental company here, LG2 Environmental Solutions, and had them educate me about what we could do.” Hughes also set up an in-house committee called the “Green Team” to come up with new ideas, including a recycling plan. During a six-month assessment, the club determined that 100,000 plastic bottles and 30,000 cans a year were used and tossed at the course each year. “Now we have a contract with a local vendor who picks them up and recycles them,” Hughes said. “It’s not inexpensive. No one pays you to pick up your stuff. They take them to a recycling plant in Oakland that is two hours away.” He estimated that it probably takes from $50,000 to $100,000 a year to implement the recycling and other changes that were made during the renovation to become more “green.” Originally developed by Shea Homes under its Trilogy brand, The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge from the beginning followed an environmental program called “Shea Certified Green.” That plan included use of wood only from sustainable forests and conserving lumber and recycling construction materials when possible. The project’s landscaping used weather-responsive sprinkler systems and energy-efficient appliances were installed in homes. And though recently sold by Shea Homes to Oki Golf, the club has continued its commitment to the environment. Under the management of Shea’s inhouse golf company, BlueStar Resort & Golf, the club in 2008 launched several new eco-friendly efforts, said Luke Beardmore, director of agronomy and construction for BlueStar. Among the ideas used at Redmond Ridge: eliminating plastics that could not be recycled, buying recycled paper products when possible, adjusting heating and AC systems to make them more efficient and recycling vegetable oils and grease. The maintenance team also uses liquid fertilizer more efficiently. It treats and filters all wash water before sending it into the sewer system and maintains 100 catch basins to retain runoff on course to use in future irrigation. They also use biological rather than chemical agents to maintain ponds and phased out use of two-stroke motors to reduce emissions. Garden beds were replanted with native species. Redmond Ridge, now in its sixth sea- son, is working on becoming certified as an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary. “A lot of what we have been doing has been going on for years – water conservation methods and use of effluent and use of vegetable and soy products,” Beardmore said. “But some of our recycling efforts have been more recent. We’re not just trying to put a green spin on things. We’re thinking outside the box to make sure we’re doing the right thing. Fertilizers are a concern all over the world.” What about the costs of these kinds of efforts? “It’s both cheaper to do all this and not cheaper,” Beardmore said. “Using effluent has a huge net positive impact. It’s generally cheaper than using potable water. But developers still have to pay for building treatment plants. Organic fertilizer is similar in cost to petroleum-based fertilizer, but petroleum has more nutrient value.” However, Redmond Ridge has specific figures on some savings: ■ Switching to recycled paper products to supply restrooms will produce a net savings of $800 a year in paper towels and toilet paper alone. ■ SBuying biodegradable tees made from post-consumer products will save the club about $850 a year. ■ SSwitching to liquid fertilizer will eliminate the purchase and application of about 15,250 pounds of granular fertilizer. Just 27 liquid applications will be required. ■ SFilling current garden beds with native plants will reduce fertilizer use by 275 pounds per year and will save roughly 79,000 gallons of water annually. Other items –replacing two stroke motors with four-stroke models – increases costs slightly, about 8 percent per unit. But the reduction in emissions makes club personnel believe that the program is a success. The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge has adopted a variety of measures emphasizing energy efficiency March/April 2009 www.GolfIncMagazine.com 43 http://www.GolfIncMagazine.com
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