The buzz in Memphis this summer is all about Justin Timberlake’s “new” golf course. Actually, it’s a course that has been completely redesigned and reconstructed subsequent to purchase of the original golf course in 2007 to prevent its development, according to a May 18, 2009 post by Marketwire online.
Golf in Harmony with Nature
According to the Mirimichi website, the course “is about the harmony between golf, people and nature. World-class greens amidst nature's playground of towering trees, natural grassland, rugged elevations and meandering creeks.” In a June 18, 2009 Commercial Appeal article by Tom Bailey, Mirimichi’s general manager, Rich Peterson, praised Timberlake for his focus on protecting and restoring nature while creating a world-class golf experience. He explains that Timberlake was motivated partially by his Native American heritage.
According to the Commercial Appeal, Mirimichi includes the following environmentally sensitive elements:
- Irrigation and drainage systems circulate and reuse wastewater and rainwater runoff;
- Mowing maintenance has been reduced by incorporating native grasses, which also benefit native species, into the rough;
- The golf course is working toward calculating and offsetting its carbon footprint;
- Tee times will be spaced at 12 minute intervals to allow walking the course, if golfers prefer to do so;
- The golf cart fleet is slated for power by solar energy, as soon as the technology is available;
- Facilities such as the clubhouse will maximize use of recyclables and will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the current gold standard for green construction) specifications.
Mirimichi, meaning “place of happy retreat,” is a public golf course and will open on July 25, 2009.
What Goes Around Comes Back Around
According to Audubon International, which has been certifying newly constructed golf courses under its Signature program for at least 15 years, environmentally sensitive design, construction, and management also benefit the bottom line. The organization has certified more than 70 Signature Golf Courses since the program’s inception, and according to a survey conducted in 2004, 90% of participating managers report either savings or valuable marketing opportunities from their green practices.
Given the current climate of energy awareness, this trend is likely to continue. The financial savings in environmental management stem from practices that
- Decrease mowing and fuel costs by planting native grasses and using fish to control pests in ponds
- Reduce herbicide and pesticide use through restoration of locally adapted native species
- Conserve water or treat wastewater
- Reduce electricity use
At the same time, researchers sponsored by organizations such as the U.S. Golf Association, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, have been cataloguing ways to benefit and enhance native pollinators and other species of wildlife on golf courses. These include everything from the proper mix and density of native plants to benefit nesting birds to the appropriate configuration of water and woodland to support amphibian migration and diversity.
Justin Timberlake’s insistence on environmentally sensitive management at Mirimichi golf course sends a strong business and social message. The result may be that one day duffers in solar-powered golf carts will be accompanied by their bird-watching buddies — both in search of those difficult-to-get birdies.
