October 2, 2007

Chambers Bay Golf Course: refuge for wildlife and golfers

Photo by Aidan Bradley © 2007 [enlarge]

The links-style course is one of 23 properties worldwide to be certified by Audubon International, which sets standards for design, construction and maintenance.

Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place is set on a series of undulating hills next to Puget Sound. But the property was very different five years ago, when the hills were gaping holes left over from 100 years of gravel mining.

The transformation of the site and commitment to protecting the environment has earned Chambers Bay Golf Course certification by Audubon International as a Silver Signature Sanctuary. The certification is given to projects that are designed, constructed and maintained according to Audubon's standards.

This is the first silver sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest. Twenty two other properties worldwide that have achieved the designation.

Nancy Richardson, director of Audubon's Signature Programs, said, “(Pierce) County's commitment to environmental excellence will continue to provide significant benefits to the natural resources on and surrounding the golf course property and to the citizens that use the property.”

The golf course is part of Chambers Creek Properties, a 930-acre piece of public land that is being developed with trails, parks and open space.

To get the certification, builders of the 250-acre golf course had to commit to the program during planning. The course had to be designed to complement the local environment, and be managed and maintained in an environmentally responsible manner.

The course is designed to blend into the site and provide wildlife habitat. Designers created a landscape of dunes that look like they were carved by wind blowing off the water. Vehicles are not allowed on the 18-hole course and the clubhouse is located away from Puget Sound.

Natural landscaping was another focus. Most golf courses have bright green grass that requires irrigation and chemical treatments. But Chambers Bay uses a local, drought-resistant fescue grass that will change with the seasons, turning a golden brown in the summer. Trees are also missing on the golf course, except for one lone Douglas fir.

The site is designed to look as it might have if 100 years of mining had never occurred.

Tony Tipton, project manager with Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, said five years ago the site was covered with invasive species like blackberry bushes and scotch broom. “(Before) it was just a mishmash of steep slopes and low spots. It wasn't anything that anybody could utilize... (It looked like) a bombed out moonscape. Now it's a golf course and trails.”

The Audubon certification also requires properties have a plan that addresses everything from pest management to energy efficiency.

Tipton said this makes operators think about the big picture before chemicals are used. Managers will try non-chemical approaches, including doing nothing.

“You build up the turf's ability to fend for itself,” he said. “Let Mother Nature manage it.”

The plan also looks at the impact on local waters. The course is tested quarterly to make sure no chemicals or fertilizers are contaminating groundwater. Stormwater is contained to keep runoff from going into Puget Sound or into local creeks and streams. Excess stormwater flows into a nearby wetland and pond area where local plants naturally treat pollutants.

Fertilizers are housed in an on-site maintenance facility and chemicals are mixed in a separate building. The mixing building is designed to have zero discharge. Any spills drain into a holding space where they can be captured.

The course must be recertified every two years to keep the certification.

Robert Trent Jones II of Palo Alto, Calif., designed the course, along with Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi. Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports Management operates the course. For more information, visit htttp://www.chambersbaygolf.com.