Monthly Feature Hosted By:
	Anthony L. Williams, CGCS at Marriott’s Stone Mountain Golf Club in Georgia

This case study is simply quite amazing. The case study reads as if it is an action/adventure movie script. The refinery was built by Pennsylvania Oil and Gas in 1885 and was abandoned in 1911. It reopened the next year and in 1919 was the largest gasoline producer in the world. The facility remained in operation for over 80 years and permanently closed in 1991. Environmental laws and procedures were not adequate during this time span and it is estimated that over 300 million gallons of gasoline had spilled contaminating the entire area. The site was considered a “brownfield” and an active remediation site.

The remediation idea that became the Three Crowns Golf Club began to take shape in 1999 and the course opened June of 2005. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and features 150 acres of turf as well as 40 acres of native grasses that are only mowed once per season. Special features of the property also include over 100 recovery wells to help recover the oil from the area. Michael Smith, GCSAA member and superintendent at Three Crowns Golf Club, does a great job of detailing the many challenges and successes of this project including lists of agronomic challenges and several innovative environmental “Best Management Practices”.

I have been involved in many environmental projects and we always want to see measurable results and sustainability. This case study is a stand out example of both — a once barren brownfield that is now an award winning green space and also happens to be a great golf course. The property is once again teeming with wildlife that ranges from fish to mule deer. So be sure as you read the inspirational history of this project to reflect on the axiom that as environmental stewards it is more important where we finish than where we start.

August's Guest:
	Greg Lyman, GCSAA Director of Environmental Programs

Reading Michael Smith’s story about the transformation of this industrial site to the Three Crowns Golf Course is a profound example about how good golf can be for a community and the environment. As all businesses and individuals strive to be sustainable, this story demonstrates a positive “triple bottom line” – a successful business that is positive for the community and the environment. Golf courses have been a successful remediation option for many brownfield sites throughout the country. A “brownfield” is a disturbed site that is usually contaminated in some manner from a former industrial use. I was at a conference recently where Bruce Charlton, golf course architect from the Robert Trent Jones group, discussed the design elements and construction details regarding this site.

Michael’s story is touching because he has a life-long connection to this property and I appreciate him sharing his personal recollections as a child about the oil refinery history of this site. He also describes an insider’s view of the special features of the property, his management techniques and the positive results being enjoyed daily by golfers and many other creatures that visit the site. Golf course superintendents have a strong bond with the properties they manage. Michael provides a glimpse into their sense of responsibility, obligation and pride in managing these landscapes.

If you are interested in learning more about golf courses that been used to successfully redevelop brownfield areas, follow the link in the story. The American Society of Golf Course Architects also has some information available on this subject.