Golf Digest magazine has selected The Preserve at Oak Meadows (Addison, Illinois) as the recipient of its 2017 Environmental Award Green Star Award. The course is a major redesign effort from ASGCA Past President Greg Martin (Martin Design) and DuPage County.
The Award recognizes, acknowledges and promotes environmental solutions by golf development.
The Preserve at Oak Meadows, which opened in summer 2017, was developed to address a variety of benefits to surrounding communities while improving the flood resiliency of the golf course.
“I am thrilled that The Preserve at Oak Meadows has been acknowledged and honored that it will forever be listed with some of the most iconic golf courses in the world,” Martin said.
“It is necessary to acknowledge the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for their courage to pursue this project. Our mission was to thoughtfully integrate environmental benefit with a great golf course that could better withstand flood events. It validates our effort to integrate an exceptional golf experience with valuable environmental benefit.”
Comments of high praise about The Preserve include:
“The Preserve demonstrates that a golf course can serve golfers and the greater community.” – Ron Whitten, golf architecture editor, Golf Digest
“The changes we made to this property are going to be good for golfers, good for the habitat, and good for the community, for decades.” – Ed Stevenson, director of golf/executive director, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
“The newly-renovated Preserve at Oak Meadow melds together form and function. The unique design incorporates Salt Creek and the critical wetland areas. These changes benefit the site and the surrounding community, while providing an interesting and playable golf experience.” – Kimberly Erusha, USGA Green Section
Golf Digest instituted its Green Star Awards in 2009 to recognize golf facilities that “demonstrate the best in sustainable, efficient and innovative environmental practices that every golf facility could emulate.”
Previous winners of the Green Star Awards include Pinehurst No, 2, The Rio Olympic Course, Kiawah Island Resort, Pebble Beach Resorts and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.