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

Sustainable or “green” construction practices involve many aspects of an entire construction project and this month we are excited to offer a detailed look at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club’s LEED Gold Level Certified clubhouse. There are details that identify project team members, design features and of course some world class photos. The LEED certification process is new to me, but I think that even the most skeptical steward will find some of these details interesting.

Things like 91% of the construction waste of this project was diverted from landfills to other construction projects, recycled or donated to local organizations for resale. Twenty trees were relocated from the construction site to the golf course. The reduction of light pollution (preventing interior lighting from exiting the building) was a priority. Over 47 tons of lodge poles, trim pieces and other construction materials was donated to Habitat for Humanity and other community projects. These statistics are amazing and show a true commitment to the process and program.

Here in Georgia, we are all familiar with the need to conserve water and protect water resources so I was again impressed that in this case study water conservation was a focal point. The use of low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals reduced water use in these areas by 31.4% and the special golf car washing station saves an estimated 157,000 gallons of water per season. This savings alone is equivalent to the total water use of six households!

This case study is full of ideas and statistics that make you see a very different type of construction project. This project definitely deserves the Gold medal or LEED Gold Level Certification that is.   

November's Guest:
	Justin Brown, Superintendent at Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club

Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club is essentially a landlocked island, surrounded by national parks and forests, including the National Elk Refuge.  We know we live and work in a special and pristine place.  Also, we had a chance to do something special with the environment in mind.  Becoming a Gold Level Certified LEED clubhouse was a co-operative effort, which took several levels of coordination and within a short time frame.  The goal was to build our clubhouse and to minimize our environmental impact not just during construction, but years after it was built.  One of the largest contributions to LEED certification was the materials we donated or recycled out of the old building.  It was amazing what people reused, such as rusty culverts, cattle guards, plumbing fixtures, you name it.  It was kind of like having a month long garage sale, but with no price tags. 

From a superintendent’s perspective the hardest part was finding out where to stage salvage materials while we deconstructed and recycled the old building.  We had piles of everything from bark mulch, ground up cement, to scores of patio pavers.  If it was in the old building, it was in a pile.  The site really looked very busy for awhile, that was the most frustrating part.  However, in the end we saved or recycled 91% of the construction waste, which would have otherwise ended up in our waste transfer station and landfill.

With the project completed and a full year under our belt, it is an outstanding feeling being able to drive up to or walk into the club house and know that it still has years of giving.