Marriott Corporation will continue to green its greens as the company is going international with its environmental program. The company says that its 17 international golf properties will become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries by the end of 2009. Last year the 24 Marriott Golf properties in North America earned the Audubon certification, which requires courses to comply with standards for aspects of operation including:

-- Environmental Planning
--Wildlife & Habitat Management
--Outreach & Education
--Chemical Use Reduction & Safety
--Water Conservation
--Water Quality Management

Marriot says it is converting formerly managed turf into wildlife habitat (always a good idea) as well as constructing nesting boxes for native birds and creating butterfly gardens. Providing educational information about native species on the courses themselves would further the appreciation of duffers.

As someone who tried but failed to become enamored with the so-called "sport" of golf, my reflex is to wince when passing a course that could have been left to nature, but in truth, many links were not pristine habitats before any greenskeeper got involved.

In many cases it's better to develop an environmentally-sensitive golf course that preserves some of those trees that always jumped in front of my drives than to build a gated community of McMansions.