This could be just another new business win announcement of Troon Privé (the private club operating division of Troon). However, what caught my attention was the fact that the Oldfield Club and Community is cooperating with Audubon International since 2002(!!!).
Today we are not so surprised to hear that a golf club is GEO Certified or Audubon International Certified.
An Audubon International study found
“80% of Audubon International’s nearly 1,000 member certified courses all over the world decrease the amount of managed turfgrass, 56% increase the width of “no-spray zones” around water features, and 99% report that turf quality remained the same or even improved as a result.”
The Oldfield Club and Community‘s Greg Norman Signature golf course became Audubon International Certified already in 2004. Oldfield received designation as an Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community in February of 2018.
Oldfield accomplished among the others:
- Food Sourcing: Oldfield is home to a community garden, and with time they hope to expand the number of beds.
- Waste Reduction: Oldfield is aiming to increase recycling efforts by providing more visible opportunities for their members to recycle.
- Volunteerism & Civic Engagement: Oldfield provides many volunteer opportunities for residents to get involved, such as tallow removal and river cleanups.
- Green Cleaning: Oldfield set a goal to reduce their overall number of cleaning products used and to convert to plant-based cleaning products.
- Education: Oldfield has set out to develop educational material for their residents regarding environmental practices, such as pest management.
- Water Quality & Conservation: Oldfield initiated monthly water quality testing in their ponds to start gathering data to track the health of their water bodies.
Who may not know the Oldfield Club and Community, it is a private, member-owned community in Okatie, South Carolina. In addition to the above-mentioned Greg Norman Signature golf course (18-holes), it offers
- Sports Club with cardio and strength training equipment, heated lap pool, large outdoor pool, wellness and nutrition clinics, tennis and pickleball courts; and an Equestrian Center.
- Oldfield’s Outfitters Center provides a comprehensive offering of outdoor activities including fishing, boating and boat storage, shooting sports, kayaking, and nature programming, which capitalize on the community’s outdoor lifestyle.
The River Club is the community’s centerpiece for dining, relaxation and conversation, affording members and guests with panoramic views of the marsh and river. The Magnolia Grill, located in the Oldfield Clubhouse, is a casual dining destination for lunch and dinner.
As a Troon Privé-managed club, equity golf members of Oldfield Club and Community can enjoy the Troon Privé Privileges program, which delivers extraordinary golf and lifestyle benefits as well as reciprocal play at other Troon Privé-managed private clubs around the world.