Las Positas Golf Course

T he environmental ef- forts made at Las Positas Golf Course by CourseCo and the city of Liver- more have been nothing short of award-winning. From the time that CourseCo took over maintenance opera- tions in 2008, numerous steps have been taken to help protect and preserve the habitat that surrounds the golf course. Environmental leadership has always been one of the core val- ues of CourseCo's management mantra, and working with the city, the company has imple- mented positive changes at the property, such as limiting chemi- cal applications, strictly adher- ing to no-spray zones around bodies of water, eliminating the use of heavy metal algicides in the ponds, using non-restricted chemicals, and ongoing partici- pation in the Audubon Certified Sanctuary program since 2014. The endeavors definitely have their benefits, according to Las Positas Golf Course Superin- tendent Mark Condos. "For the city, sound environ- mental practices increase the value of the property to the pub- lic as a safe, healthy place for cit- izens to recreate," he said. "We also preserve the surrounding areas by protecting the creek that runs through the property, flow- ing downstream and ultimately to the bay. Limiting chemical use and pollution coming from the property is key to sustaining a heathy environment." The practices that have been implemented at Las Positas have paid off as the course has been highly recognized in the indus- try and has been certified by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary since 2014, re-certified in 2017, and will go through the same process again in 2020. Condos and Las Positas also took the top prize in the 2015 En- vironmental Leadership in Golf Awards presented annually by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, winning the overall and national public course honor. Condos and Las Positas were honored again in 2016 as the Northern California Chapter Merit award-winners. Some of the criteria for the award include water conserva- tion and quality management, safe chemical use, pollution con- trol, wildlife management and leadership. Of course it doesn't hurt that CourseCo also has on its staff Gary Ingram, who has received numerous ELGA awards as well as the highest honor, the Presi- dent's Award, in 2019. "From an environmental standpoint, the collective experi- ence of the superintendents led by Gary Ingram and others alongside him brings hundreds of years of experience, numerous awards and recognition in the industry," Condos said. "This pool of talent and the cama- raderie of the superintendents give a CourseCo-run facility a resource unmatched in the golf world." PROTECTING NATURE CourseCo and city of Livermore lead award-winning environmental efforts at Las Positas Golf Course ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP Las Positas Insider // 2020 Edition Las Positas Superintendent Mark Condos.

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