Audubon International Honors Golf Courses Reaching Significant Certification Milestones in 2023

As 2023 enters its final stretch, Audubon International – the environmentally focused non-profit organization offering members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect the areas where we all live, work, and play – proudly honors 40 courses in the United States and abroad that have attained an admirable milestone as certified Audubon Certified Sanctuary Program for Golf members for 10, 20 and 30 years.

Every year, Audubon International recognizes member courses that reach these impressive milestones, awarding plaques to those at the 30- and 20-year level and certificates to those at the 10-year level.

“These 40 honorees for 2023 continue an important, longstanding tradition at Audubon International,” says Christine Kane, CEO. “They also set a high bar for sustainability practices and stewardship culture that all our members strive to clear the moment they take on the ACSP challenge. Seeing these courses’ dedication in action with every passing year is truly inspiring and proof positive that we are helping golf facilities of all kinds lead the way to a more environmentally friendly industry for the benefit of everyone.”

Two American courses reached the 30-year mark in 2023, including the Bay Course at Kapalua Resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui and Village Links of Glen Ellyn west of Chicago, Ill. Along with three courses in Canada and one in the Philippines, twenty-one American courses reached the 20-year milestone–four in California, three in Florida, two each in Massachusetts and North Carolina, and one each in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wyoming. Hitting the 10-year mark were 14 courses overall–a dozen in the United States and two in Canada. Colorado led the way with three courses, while California, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington notched one each.

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf is an award-winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect the environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf. By helping people enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations, the program serves an important environmental role worldwide.

To learn more about how your local golf course, community, lodging property, or resort can gain recognition for your environmental efforts or to learn how to expand your initiatives through Audubon International’s numerous environmental certifications, visit auduboninternational.org.

Golf Nation Now Available on VIZIO WatchFree+ and On Demand

NBTV Channels’ video entertainment network Golf Nation is set to officially debut its Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) golf-lifestyle channel on VIZIO (NYSE: VZIO) Smart TVs.

Millions of VIZIO Smart TV users will be the first to stream Golf Nation programming at no cost on WatchFree+ channel 612 and on demand. Golf Nation content was initially previewed in December 2022 on GolfNation.com as a groundbreaking video-on-demand provider of entertaining, commercial-free, golf-lifestyle shows.

In the inaugural season of original shows, the following episodes are produced by NBTV Studios and range from five to 30 minutes:

• Ambush with David Feherty – Hidden camera hijinks with golf’s most comedic figure
• Three Courses – Travel to play, eat and drink with influencers Gabi Powel, Hannah Leiner
• Golf Unseen – Adventures to exotic golf locations with cultural experiences, hosted by Carolina Romero and Mike Mason (nine-time X Games medalist)
• Tee Shots – Drink, chat, swing, repeat hosted by famous mixologist Bill Binder
• Versus – Rotating golf celebrities and influencers compete head-to-head

“We are excited to premiere Golf Nation’s line-up of curated content on VIZIO Smart TVs,” says Greg Barnard, Director of Content Acquisition at VIZIO. “And thanks to a major brand sponsor of the channel, Golf Nation will be featured on the VIZIO Home Screen at launch, helping VIZIO users discover live and on demand content at the beginning of their TV viewing experience.”

“Thanks in large part to VIZIO, Golf Nation will boast one of the largest golf-oriented audiences in the U.S.,” says Nick Buzzell, Chairman and CEO of Golf Nation. “The significant distribution lift excites our brand partners who authentically sell products featured in our shows.”

Golf Nation started with a built-in audience, as more than 60% of Spirits Network viewers indicated a passion for golf.

An investor community darling, Golf Nation’s thesis attracted backers Mark Bezos (HighPost Capital), David Nichols (former President of K-Swiss), John Esposito (Chairman of Whistle Pig and former CEO of Bacardi North America), Mindy Grossman, Partner at Consello and former CEO of WW International (Weight Watchers in partnership with Oprah Winfrey and CEO of HSNI, parent company to Home Shopping Network). Company leadership is equally strong, with former President of the PGA of America Suzy Whaley as President, sports media veteran Noah Coslov as GM, Kim Weinstein as President of NBTV Studios (producer of Golf Nation original shows), and golf marketing PR and visionary Rich Katz as an advisory board member.

All shows are watched and live perpetually on golfnation.com, its Android app, and Spirits Network, parent company NBTV’s first entertainment vertical.  In upcoming months, they will be available on Golf Nation iOS app, Apple TV and additional streaming services.

Modern golf entertainment leader Topgolf announced the first Massachusetts venue will open on Friday, Nov. 3.

The Basics

• What’s Topgolf? It is a sports entertainment experience that features high-tech golf, food, drinks, music, and a good time. Think of it as a place where anyone can participate in the game of golf in a relaxed environment. You’ll take aim at giant targets on the field while playing virtual courses or Topgolf’s signature games like Angry Birds.
• What Topgolf isn’t? It’s a place where people get too hung up on the bad shots – just call it a practice swing, and as long as you’re having fun, you’re winning at Topgolf.
• About 20 miles from downtown Boston, the venue is located at 777 Dedham Street in the city of Canton.
• This will be Topgolf’s first venue in Massachusetts, marking its 84th outdoor venue in the U.S. and 94th globally.
• The venue will employ roughly 400 Playmakers (aka employees) – think bay hosts, bartenders, ball picker upper people, etc.

It’s Golf

• Topgolf Boston-Canton will feature 90 outdoor climate-controlled (that means heated!) hitting bays spanning three levels. Each bay has lounge-type furniture or high-top tables where groups can cheer – or heckle – the other Players (aka guests).
• The venue is equipped with Topgolf’s Toptracer technology, which traces each golf ball’s flight path, distance, and other cool metrics to impress your friends.
• Bonus: On Tuesdays, gameplay is half-off!
• Players can even partake in lessons through Topgolf’s Coach program, led by the venue’s Director of Instruction.

It’s Not Golf

• Topgolf takes its “not golf” very seriously. That’s why a full-service restaurant manned by executive chefs, a 28-foot video wall, more than 200 HDTVs (ideal for watching the Pats or Red Sox), music, and year-round family-friendly programming is just as much a part of the Topgolf experience.
• Private event rooms are the prime spot for team outings, family gatherings, meetings, or anything. Players are looking to celebrate.

What They Said

• Topgolf Chief Operating Officer Gen Gray: “Opening our first venue in Massachusetts is a huge milestone for us, and we can’t wait to introduce our style of play to the Boston area. There’s been a ton of excitement within the Topgolf family about this venue opening, and we’re so excited to see it come to life.”
• Town of Canton Vice Chair John J. Connolly: “It is truly an honor to welcome the newest Topgolf venue in the northeast to our town of Canton. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many truly amazing people from Topgolf. This venue will be a huge benefit to our residents, with the creation of several hundred jobs. We look forward to working with Topgolf to ensure they are the premier entertainment destination in the Boston area and beyond.”

For more info on Topgolf Boston-Canton, visit topgolf.com/us/canton. Those interested in joining the team can apply on Topgolf’s career website.

Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus design renowned for its beauty and challenge, reopened October 2 after a comprehensive greens and bunkers restoration project.

Founders Group International (FGI), Pawleys’ parent company, contracted with Nicklaus Design Group and its Design Associate Troy Vincent to lead a project that has modernized one of the area’s most popular courses while maintaining the integrity of Nicklaus’ original work.

“Pawleys Plantation opened in the late 1980s, and it was time to look at the layout and reimagine what it could be,” said Steve Mays, President of Founders Group International.  “When you have a golf course that is associated with an icon like Jack Nicklaus, of course you want to incorporate his input and use the Nicklaus Design team to ensure the course continues to fulfill its potential going forward.”

Pawleys closed May 22 and golfers were welcomed back to a layout that received a dramatic facelift just as Myrtle Beach enters its peak fall season.

The seeds for the renovation of Pawleys were planted during a trip Nicklaus made to the acclaimed course in 2018 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its opening. The Golden Bear toured the layout, providing detailed notes on how to update best a design that has long been among South Carolina’s most popular.

At the heart of Nicklaus’ vision was a more playable layout for average golfers without diminishing the challenge for more skilled players.

Over time, trees had encroached on the course, narrowing fairways corridors beyond the original intent, and the size of the greens complexes had shrunk dramatically. To create more room, Vincent and his team eliminated the sprawling bunkers that lined more than half of the layout’s holes, replacing them with additional fairway space and native areas, and removed trees when necessary to create optimum conditions.

“We followed Jack’s ideas from 2018,” said Vincent, who has worked alongside the golf legend for 15 years. “It was our intention to make the course more playable, to give players more options, and we have carried that out. I think everyone will be happy.”

While there is more fairway to find, the challenge on and around the greens is more substantial as the number of pinnable areas significantly increased, placing greater demands on the short game.

“Working with the Nicklaus Group and Troy Vincent, who has done a fantastic job, has been a pleasure,” Mays said. “I believe we have brought the vision Jack Nicklaus outlined in 2018 to life. I can’t wait for everyone to come out and see the new Pawleys Plantation.”

Highlights of the project include:

• Every green complex and the surrounding fringe was stripped, tilled and restored to its original specifications, netting nearly 40,000 square feet of additional putting surface.
• The new greens feature TifEagle Bermudagrass, an ultradwarf strain that has performed exceedingly well at other FGI layouts, including the Grande Dunes Resort Course and River Hills Golf Club.
• The collar around every green was resurfaced with Tahoma 31, a hearty variety of bermudagrass that can withstand close mowing and is resistant to mutation.
• The sprawling bunkers on holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 18 were replaced by smaller fairway bunkers, native areas and expanded fairways, enhancing the course’s playability for mid to high handicappers without reducing the challenge for more skilled players.
• In addition to the course work, Pawleys is undergoing a clubhouse renovation that will include building a new deck, offering stunning views of the course’s 18th hole, and opening a new restaurant that will cater to members and the public alike. The restaurant and deck are expected to open in the coming weeks.

Widely regarded as one of the prettiest courses in South Carolina, Pawleys features six back nine holes that play along a tidal marsh, a stretch highlighted by No. 13, a devilish par 3 that plays to a peninsula green surrounded by water and buffeted by winds off the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Founders Group International owns 21 Myrtle Beach golf courses, making it one of the largest management companies in the Southeast, and FGI has aggressively reinvested in its courses in recent years. FGI has undertaken significant capital improvement projects at Grande Dunes Resort Course, TPC Myrtle Beach, Pine Lakes, Aberdeen Country Club, River Hills, Tradition Club, and the PineHills and Palmetto courses at Myrtlewood.

With additional capital improvement projects on the horizon, FGI is reinforcing its commitment to providing golfers with the best golf vacation experience possible.

For more information on Pawleys Plantation, visit PawleysPlantation.com.

For more information on FGI, visit FoundersGolf.com.