Audubon International, Invited Strengthen Sustainabiity Partnership

Leading Operator Commits to Achieve ACSP Certification for All Golf Courses

OnFeb. 1, Audubon International announced that Invited, leading owner-operator of membership golf and country clubs, city and stadium clubs in North America, will direct more than 200 of the golf courses in its portfolio to join the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for Golf and achieve certification over the next several years. Audubon International is the environmentally focused non-profit organization offering members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect the areas where we all live, work, and play.

Currently about 140 of Invited’s courses are ACSP-Certified for golf, making it one of Audubon International’s largest partners in its mission to help golf courses, resorts, hotels, parks, municipalities and businesses become more environmentally sustainable.

“Expanding Audubon International’s partnership with Invited to include every Invited golf course is a significant step for the leading club operator and we continue to give Invited clubs certification weekly,” said Frank LaVardera, Audubon International Director of Environmental Programs for Golf.

Added Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International: “We are gratified and humbled to learn of Invited’s intention to make sure every course in their impressive and expansive portfolio is ACSP-certified. A partner of their caliber and influence going all-in for our stewardship mission is great news for the golf industry.”

By announcing the goal of full ACSP membership and certification for its golf courses, Invited is further elevating its commitment to environmental stewardship and its goal to drive continual improvement across all aspects of the operation.

“Invited is proud to have all of its golf courses receive the ACSP Certification, which will make us the only multi-unit club operator in North America to do so,” said Invited CEO David Pillsbury. “Our clubs play an integral role in the lives of our members and their communities, and it’s important that Invited courses are expertly positioned to protect the environment.”

Begun in 1991 in collaboration with the United States Golf Association, ACSP for Golf certification is the industry’s gold standard for sustainability. Audubon International’s team of experts work hand-in-hand with superintendents and their staffs to achieve stringent, sciencebased benchmarks based on carefully developed Standard Environmental Management Practices in six key environmental components: Site Assessment an Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, and Outreach and Education. Once certified, each course is recertified every three years. Currently there are more than 2,000 certified ACSP for Golf courses in the United States and internationally.

Since its founding in 1957, Dallas-based Invited, formerly ClubCorp, has operated with the mission of Building Relationships and Enriching Lives®. The leading owner-operator of membership golf and country clubs, city, and stadium clubs in North America, Invited is relentless in its pursuit of providing extraordinary experiences, meaningful connections, shared passions, and memorable moments for its more than 400,000 members. The company’s mission is supported by 20,000 peak-season employees and a portfolio of 200 owned or operated golf and country clubs, city clubs, sports clubs, stadium clubs in 29 states, and seven BigShots Golf locations. Invited creates communities and a lifestyle through its championship golf courses, workspaces, handcrafted cuisine, resort-style pools, tennis and pickleball facilities, golf lounges, fitness centers, and pioneering programming.

Audubon International Unveils New Platinum Level for Signature Sanctuary Certification After

years of offering three levels of its elite Signature Sanctuary Certification program, Audubon International is adding a fourth Platinum Certification for properties undergoing renovation or new development with the goal of ensuring sustainable design, construction, and long-term management of golf courses, resorts, and communities.

For the first time, the Platinum Certification level offers properties the opportunity to put an entire resort — golf, clubhouse and lodging — under one certification umbrella.

“Signature has traditionally been offered on three levels — Bronze, Silver and Gold,” says Kat Welch, Director, Signature Sanctuary Certification. “In 2022, we did a soft launch of our Platinum level. Previously, Signature included an 18-hole golf course and the maintenance facility. Or it could be a standalone community, like an HOA. With Platinum, we looped in our Green Lodging and Green Hospitality Certification. It includes not only the golf course and maintenance, but also the clubhouse, and if there’s lodging onsite, the resort aspect as well. It’s an opportunity to have an all-encompassing certification for a resort.”

Directed by Audubon International COO

Fred Realbuto, the Green Lodging and Green Hospitality programs currently have about 130 full-service Certified resort members. By blending elements of the Lodging/Hospitality curricula with Signature’s mostly golf-centric requirements, Platinum Certification gives qualifying properties more options to fit its overall sustainability goals.

“If a resort is established and operating, but undergoing a renovation to only the golf course, it can still be a candidate for Platinum,” Welch says, “because the Green Lodging and Green Hospitality Certifications were designed for existing properties. If it is a totally new construction, we look for the criteria to be built into the architectural plan.”

For golf course grounds and structures including cart barns and maintenance buildings, Platinum Certification adds a new slate of requirements to its already comprehensive Gold level. For instance, native plantings must occupy 90% of out-of-play golf course acreage, rather than Gold Level’s 75%.

Welch adds that The Signature Sanctuary process as a whole is currently going through an update, including the list of criteria handed out at enrollment and necessary for certification.

“We’re working with the American Society of Golf Course Architects on revising and expanding it in certain areas. We are launching it later this year.”

But for properties looking for a complete certification solution, the Green Hospitality and Green Lodging elements truly set Signature Sanctuary Platinum apart in Audubon International’s suite of Certification programs.

“The nice part about Signature Platinum level is that it is a single title, encompassing multiple certifications, which is easier for the public or the client to understand and appreciate.” Welch concludes. “It’s definitely attractive.”

For information about joining AI’s Signature Sanctuary Certification please contact Kat Welch at 518-767-9051 x124 or kat@auduboninternational.org