Seaview Resort & Spa Golf Course, New Jersey Takes Environmental Effort to Become Audubon Certified

Seaview Resort & Spa's golf course in New Jersey will be the 16th Marriott golf resort to receive Audubon certification as a cooperative sanctuary.

Orlando, Fla. (PRWEB) November 27, 2008 -- Marriott Golf, one of the world's premier golf operators, today announced a golf course in New Jersey to become Audubon Certified, as part of the Company's efforts to ensure that all managed golf properties in North America and the Caribbean become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries by the end of 2008. Seaview Golf Resort, one of the premier golf resort destinations in the Northeast located just outside of Atlantic City, N.J., has become the 16th Marriott Golf managed property to achieve certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses.

Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, which enable golf courses to protect the environment by enhancing precious natural areas and wildlife habitats, are part of a system wide commitment by Marriott International, Inc. (MAR:NYSE) to promote environmental stewardship. To become an Audubon Certified golf course, a facility is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in several areas including Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.

As part of the resort's efforts to become Audubon Certified, Seaview Golf Resort took on the task of protecting a species of special concern in the state of New Jersey, Diamondback Terrapins, which have been nesting on the resort's famed Bay Course for the past few years. To help protect these special turtles, Seaview created several excluder traps, which are placed over nesting sites within bunkers throughout the golf course. These excluder traps keep other animals, such as crows and foxes, from digging up turtle eggs and also prevent golfers from accidentally walking on nests while on the Bay Course.

Further, Seaview's environmentally friendly golf course has partnered with The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, N.J., an organization dedicated to promoting the conservation and preservation of coastal ecosystems. As part of the partnership, Seaview made a monetary donation to the Institute and has "adopted" turtles. The contribution was used to purchase a transmitter for the adopted baby turtles. Recently, members of the Wetlands Institute visited Seaview to release the adopted baby turtles on the golf resort's Bay Course, where they will be able to monitor the turtles over the next couple of years and use the information for their ongoing research.

"Our entire golf team has been working diligently to finalize the Audubon Certification and we are all thrilled to be recognized for this accomplishment," said Mark Beaumont, Director of Grounds, Seaview Golf Resort. "We are especially proud of our efforts to protect the Diamondback Terrapins, as they have become a big part of the golf experience at Seaview."

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, and Southeast Asia have achieved certification in the program.

About Marriott Golf
Marriott Golf manages 61 golf courses at 45 locations in 13 countries, offering more than 1,000 holes of championship golf. Marriott has been managing golf operations since 1970 and is one of the world's premier golf operators. Marriott provides golf management and consulting services to a variety of operational environments including resort, private club, daily fee, golf school and franchises. For more information, visit www.marriottgolf.com.

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