The Rim Golf Club joins the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program

May 14, 2010 - PRLog -- The Rim Golf Club, located in Payson, Arizona, recently joined the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program as a Pilot Member. The Rim Golf Club sits within the largest continuous stand of Ponderosa pine in the United States, and is an ideal location for healthy and sustainable living; boasting one of only three pure ozone layers in the world. The exclusive residential mountain enclave comprised of over five hundred acres, and is surrounded by over 3 million acres of National Forest.  The golf course features impressive boulder outcroppings, scenic mountain vistas, dramatic elevation changes and breathtaking views of the Mogollon Rim.

“Environmental stewardship has been an important element in making The Rim Golf Club's community one of the Best Place to Live in America (Golf Week's Top 100 Residential Communities), stated course superintendent Justin Ruiz CGCS.  He continued by saying, "The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program provides a unique opportunity to highlight our environmental stewardship activities not only in golf course maintenance but facility-wide, and to document our sustainable efforts that goes beyond environmental stewardship as well.”

Audubon Lifestyles, an independent non-profit organization unaffiliated with any other national or international Audubon Society, believes that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet.  Operating with the main purpose of benefiting society, the organization delivers sustainable programming, services and certifications that are cost effective and that reduce risk.

The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program was created and continues to be modified through a collaborative process from experts in golf facility management, wildlife management, conservation and sustainability. Among others, this includes advisors who presently or formerly were employed by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Professional Golf Association of America (PGA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and various Universities, Colleges and businesses nationwide. In addition, participation by pilot members like The Rim Golf Club provides real-world insight used to further refine the program; making it the most comprehensive program to measure sustainability within golf course facilities.
 
Through participation in the Sustainable Golf Facility Program, Audubon Lifestyles staff is available to assist golf facility managers and staff to complete the program requirements, and gain recognition as local, regional, national and international models of sustainability.
R. Eric Dodson, CEO for Audubon Lifestyles said, “The Rim Golf Club’s commitment to sustainability, and the leadership role they have decided to take should be commended on a global scale.” Eric continued by saying, “By participating as a Pilot Member, The Rim Golf Club is not only talking-the-talk, but also walking-the-walk of leading by example. The golf club’s superintendent, Justin Ruiz, and his continual commitment of working towards managing the golf club in a sustainable manner are simply tremendous!”
 
Once a facility meets all the requirements of the Sustainable Golf Facility Program which includes adopting a Sustainability Charter, and completion of the Sustainability Audit, Audubon Lifestyles will designate the facility as an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility and develop an Improvement & Implementation Report specific to the facility. In addition, based upon an evaluation process and the Sustainability Audit the facility may be awarded between one and five stars, and potentially earn the right to use the International Sustainability Council’s Seal of Sustainability.

# # #

Audubon Lifestyles is a non-profit organization based in the Principles for Sustainability, believing that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet.