CRANBERRY TWP — When the township wanted to get into the golf course business, the board of supervisors and township officials had a vision for an environmentally sustainable golf course.

Dave Barber, Cranberry Highlands Golf Course superintendent, and his staff have made that vision come to life and were recently recognized for their efforts.

The Cranberry Highlands Golf Course was recertified on June 19 as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, a designation given by Audubon International to businesses and organizations that work to protect the environment.

The golf course was first certified in 2009 after a long application process to document the course's efforts, Barber said.

The course was judged on environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, water quality management, water conservation, chemical use reduction and safety and outreach and education, said Matt Krepp, assistant golf course superintendent.

Barber said it took about six years to get all the elements in place to qualify for the initial certification.

A drive through the 186-acre golf course shows many natural wooded areas, fields with tall grasses and two ponds. One pond, near Hole 12, is used for irrigation. Cleaned and sanitized water is pumped up from the Brush Creek Treatment Plant that otherwise would have been pumped back into the creek.

By having more naturalized areas, they are able to cut down on use of pesticides and other chemicals, Barber said.

A large compost pile is kept where grass clippings and other organic waste turns into rich, fertile soil that can be used for projects around the course. Barber said they haven't had to buy topsoil since the golf course opened in 2002.

The goal is to reuse and recycle resources everywhere that they can to help the environment and keep costs low, the superintendent said.

Every two years the golf course must submit a case study for a project they completed to be recertified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. In the past, Boy Scouts built bird and bat houses for a bird sanctuary. Bats can eat up to 1,200 bugs in an hour and help with pest control, Barber said.

One year they created a half-mile nature trail through the woods behind Hole 3 where groups can take tours by appointment.

The most recent project for certification involved creating wildflower areas around the ponds at Holes 3 and 12 to support pollinator insects.

Creating habitats for wildlife and maintaining a clear greens and fairways for playing golf may not seem like a good marriage, Barber said the two elements go well together if done right.

“Where there's not high-impact playability areas, it's a naturalized area,” Barber said. “It does not cross over with the golfer or with the game of golf. It just sets in the landscape so beautifully.”