Matt and I recently visited Amherst Country Club  –  one of only four Audubon Certified golf courses in New Hampshire  –  to play a round with Bob,  Caroline,  and Eric.

I’m both a lover of nature and a lover of golf,  so I was excited to learn more about the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf  when I visited this course.

Amherst Country Club has been Audubon Certified since 1997.   For the past 20 years,  they’ve been dedicated to creating sanctuary habitats for local wildlife,  reducing chemical use on the golf course,  conserving water,  and protecting local wildlife through environmental planning and good stewardship of the land.

To be eligible for Audubon Certification,  courses must consult with Audubon support staff,  create a plan,  and document their environmental practices.   It’s a great way for  golf courses to save money and improve relationships with local communities  – all while learning about and implementing ecologically sound business models.

I enjoyed seeing all the natural habitats and protected wildlife areas as I filmed Bob,  Caroline,  and Eric play a game of match play against Matt.

Amherst Country Club is a challenging course with tricky fairways and fast greens.  As a spectator and fellow golfer,  I appreciated the layout of this course.  The front nine sprawls out in front of the clubhouse while the back nine hops back and forth along the Souhegan River.  There are several bridges traversing the water as well as a passage under the main highway  –  making this course fun and interesting to navigate.

Bob,  Caroline,  and Eric did a fantastic job working together and playing as a team.  Matt struggled a bit on the second green,  making it challenging for him to get back on track.  Everyone was required to hit well-placed shots and practice good course management to remain competitive and stay in the game.  It was a day of ups and downs,  but in the end,  each player was able to overcome their obstacles to play some good golf.

Check out the video below to find out who won!  –  and to see one of New Hampshire’s only Audubon Certified golf courses.

*Thank you Bob,  Caroline,  and Eric for joining us out on the course.*

**A Special Thank You to Amherst Country Club for your continued commitment to ecology and the environment.**