It’s always exciting to see how golf in the Valley is progressing. As the eco-friendly mentality begins its domination over the everyday, golf facilities are also innovating new ideas and implementing new standards for green excellence. Recently, the Jim Engh-designed golf course at Blackstone Country Club was designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, making it the 10th in Arizona and the 778th in the world to achieve ranking by Audubon International.

Blackstone is a 570-acre private, gated community located within the Vistancia master plan in Peoria.
Earning the certification means the club has demonstrated a strong commitment to its environmental program and maintains a high degree of environmental quality in the areas of environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water quality management, water conservation and environmental planning.

“The Blackstone agronomy team is to be commended for its efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property,” said Jim Sluiter, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Having the certification also means that the course makes an extra effort to benefit the mule deer, ducks, badgers, bobcats, prairie dogs, chipmunks, many types of birds and the wild donkeys that have roamed the area for generations.

The certification process requires much dedication, Course Superintendent Roger Brashear led a 25-member team in the year-long process that took more than 300 hours to complete. “I’m proud of the team’s efforts,” Brashear said. “Their daily record-keeping allowed me to provide Audubon International with information in a concise and timely manner. It made things run very smoothly.”

Brashear, who is being recognized for his environmental stewardship by the organization, regards the certification as an affirmation of the club’s existing course maintenance practices.

“The environmental management practices we follow here are respectful of the land, wildlife, water and air,” he said. “But they also help us to improve our efficiency in maintaining the course and will ultimately help us achieve sustainability.”

Brashear, who is accompanied on his daily duties by another member of the agronomy team, his Queensland Heeler named Dog, said the canine wasn’t thrilled about the work involved in the certification process. “Dog wasn’t a big fan of the paperwork. It meant he had to stay in the office with me and he’d rather be on the course.”

To learn more about Blackstone Country Club, visit www.blackstonecountryclub.com.

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