Page 13 - GreenMaster summer 2023

Certification
Than You Think
Dean proudly displays the Audubon certification.
The Vallée du Richelieu Golf Club
received its Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) certification in September 2022. A 36-hole private course established in 1965 and located in Sainte-Julie, Quebec, which is on the south shore of Montreal, the Vallée du Richelieu has a rich history in golf in Canada. The club has hosted events such as the 1994 Skins game and two Champions Tour tournaments in 2012 and 2013 among other notable events. The club continues to offer some of the best golf course conditions in the province.
Aerial view of the Audubon Certified Vallée du Richelieu Golf Club.
The new garden with a variety of herbs and tomatoes helps produce meals for members to enjoy and another reason for them to be proud of their accomplishments.
TIME TO GO FOR IT
Having spent most of my life working on a golf course, I have been superintendent here since 2013 and have overseen multiple projects. This one was an interesting one because we were dealing with aspects of golf course management that we were already doing and some that we had little experience with, including having a beehive on the property. We are immensely proud to have achieved this certification. Our members also take pride in knowing that the club has the environment at heart. Both of my
assistants, Carl Loignon and Andrew Marr have been part of the process along with all the course employees.
Three years ago, after one of our crew members had cleared out an entire naturalization area by mistake, we took a good look at how we were having an impact on not only the look of our course, but also our impact on the environment. This is where a past president of the club suggested we try to get our Audubon certification.
In planning this project and determining what was required to achieve this; we concluded that we
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