THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS – (Tuesday, September 15, 2009) – The Tom Fazio Championship golf course at The Club at Carlton Woods, located in the gated enclave of Carlton Woods Creekside in The Woodlands, has achieved the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses, an Audubon International Program. Eric Bauer, Director of Grounds at The Club at Carlton Woods who led the effort to obtain sanctuary status for the course, has been recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International, according to William E. Langley, CCM, Vice President of Club Operations for The Club at Carlton Woods.
The Tom Fazio Championship course is the 16th course in Texas and the 779th in the world to receive this prestigious honor. The Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at The Club at Carlton Woods, located in the gated enclave of Carlton Woods, was designated as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” in 2003, stated Langley. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides guidance and information to assist management of golf courses to preserve and enhance wildlife habitats, and protect natural resources.
"The Club at Carlton Woods has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property," said Jim Sluiter, Staff Ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs. "To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas." These areas include: environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
“I am very pleased that both the Fazio golf course now and the Nicklaus Signature course in the past have received certification from Audubon International,” Langley said. “Achieving this recognition from Audubon International is very important to The Club at Carlton Woods and The Woodlands Development Company and stresses our effort to help improve the environment. This is a commitment that is carried throughout the 28,000 forested acres of The Woodlands.”
Bauer, a 2008 finalist for TurfNet’s Superintendent of the Year, joined The Woodlands Development Company to help with the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at The Club at Carlton Woods in 2002. He later assisted with the opening of the Tom Fazio Championship golf course, also at The Club at Carlton Woods. During his tenure, the Nicklaus course was named the #3 Best New Private Course in America and the #1 Best New Private Course in Texas by Golf Digest in 2002 and ranked the #2 Private Course in Texas by The Dallas Morning News in 2006. The Nicklaus course was also ranked the Top Private Course in the Greater Houston Area by the Houston Chronicle in 2001. After its opening, the Fazio course was recognized as the #3 Best New Private Course in America and the #1 Best New Private Course in Texas by Golf Digest in 2006. Both the Nicklaus and Fazio course are for play by members of The Club at Carlton Woods. Carlton Woods is one of only two gated communities in the United States to offer a private Nicklaus/Fazio combination.
The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. It is a project of The Woodlands Development Company, a limited partnership of Morgan Stanley and General Growth Properties, Inc.
PHOTO CAPTION: The Tom Fazio Championship golf course at The Club at Carlton Woods, in the gated enclave of Carlton Woods Creekside in The Woodlands, received the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses, an Audubon International Program. Pictured is the 13th hole of the Fazio Course. Eric Bauer, Director of Grounds at The Club at Carlton Woods, was also recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International. |
