With more than 1,000 projects in the ground, Wadsworth Golf has been a leader in golf course construction and renovation for nearly seven decades.
Today, the company also is leading the way in promoting conservation and environmental stewardship.
The company’s philanthropic arm, Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation, recently donated $15,000 to Audubon International for its Monarchs in the Rough program.
Wadsworth Golf Construction was founded in 1958 by Brent Wadsworth as a dedicated golf course construction company.
Audubon International is an environmentally focused non-profit organization that offers its members numerous certifications and initiatives to protect the areas where people live, work and play.
Launched in 2018, the Monarchs in the Rough program is a joint initiative of Audubon International and the Environmental Defense Fund. The program provides golf courses with resources to plant regionally appropriate milkweed, the primary food source for monarch butterflies. The initiative serves multiple purposes, including providing habitat and food for pollinators, educational outreach opportunities, and conservation and restoration areas out of play to enhance the beauty of the golf course and promote sound environmental stewardship.
The new funding expands Monarchs in the Rough participation to all golf courses with at least one acre available to develop pollinator habitat, including active Audubon International members as well as non-certified courses.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to bolster Audubon International’s critical work with golf courses and conserving precious natural resources,” said Doug Myslinski, director of the Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation.
Through Monarchs in the Rough and Audubon International, golf courses restore pollinator habitats in out-of-play areas. This creates essential habitats for butterflies and raises awareness for the golf industry’s role in addressing the monarch conservation challenge.
“This generous grant is deeply appreciated and will enable more golf courses to create and nurture crucial habitats through Monarchs in the Rough,” said Ken Benoit, Audubon International interim CEO.
Audubon International was established in 1987, with the Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses coming four years later in 1991. Its certifications are designed to increase environmental awareness, encourage sustainable environmental efforts and provide education about the sustainability efforts of its members.
