Rivermont Golf Club

A golf course is considered to be unsustainable due to the high level of maintenance to the turf and pesticides used on the course. Rivermont golf club had the opportunity for a redesign after budget reductions were placed on the golf courses maintenance operation. The golf course uses natural grasses by converting turf to native grasses. The native seed was a mixture of tall fescue and brooms edge that would not require irrigation, mowing, or pesticides after establishment. After the native grasses were planted, irrigation heads were adjusted or removed to ensure the areas do not get supplemental irrigation. In total 25 acres of highly maintained turf grass was converted to native grasses bringing a more natural system to the area. This brings back the wildlife and recovers the areas ecosystem. The native grasses creates a unique aesthetic to Rivermont, and attracts several species of birds, butterflies, and animals to the course. It also helps the property control erosion as a natural buffer to the nearby Chattahoochee River. Native area conversion is a long-term endeavour which takes several years to fully mature. By creating this system, a more sustainable golf course is achieved by reducing the amount of turf grass to be maintained, therefore reducing the golf courses carbon footprint.