It has taken time and effort, but today, the Audubon certification is almost a reality. Meanwhile, the club’s Greening Committee continues to reduce that carbon footprint, making staff members at all levels feel proud to be working for a company that genuinely cares about the environment.
“We have to look at any new project here at Arbutus Ridge in several ways,” says Jason Lowe, general manager for Arbutus Ridge, which is located between Duncan and Victoria, one of eight courses owned and operated by the GolfBC Group. “We have to see how it fits into the future of the golf course, and we have to prioritize and look at the costs. We recently spent $5,000 to upgrade our indoor fluorescent lights. Most of the rest of the lights are already compact fluorescents. We’re just a few months away from being fully certified by Audubon. That will be a great accomplishment.”
Trying to keep the business as green as possible is definitely a priority for everyone at Arbutus Ridge. Rachel Sullivan, a server at the club’s Satellite Bar and Grille, is the chair of the Greening Committee, which has representatives from every department at the club.
“We consider everything, from small to big things, that could have an impact,” says Sullivan. “For example, we just decided to get rid of all plastic pencils and go back to using wooden pencils. We grow some of our own herbs, and we buy locally grown produce whenever we can. We turn off all lights and TVs in empty rooms, and even the tennis bubble powers off when no one is using it. Every little thing helps. And when those efforts are multiplied every day by every person, it grows into bigger savings.”
The golf club announces its environmental accomplishments through media releases and in-house meetings and social media, and Sullivan says these green efforts make Arbutus Ridge a place where people with a social conscience want to work. “We’re known for our green attitude,” she says. “Preserve and protect is our motto. Our environmental attitude is brought up by people during job interviews, and everybody thinks what the greening committee accomplishes and its future goals are really great. I know it caught my eye when I was looking for a good place to work.”
Rachel Sullivan |
Such considerations as donating the kitchen’s used cooking oil to the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-operative and clearly identifying recycling bins are all part of the club’s green attitude, says Sullivan.
Lowe agrees that greening the company is “motivational, both for current employees and people wanting to work here. We’ve had a couple of people who wrote on their applications: ‘I have seen what you did and that is why I applied here'.” He says the turnover rate at Arbutus Ridge is considerably less than it used to be, and he credits the club’s green attitude for some of this result. “We used to have way more turnover at the management and front-line levels,” he says. “As of two years ago, our retention rate was 60 per cent. That compares with anecdotal evidence from other clubs of 40 to 50 per cent.
“Financially, our revenues have been more stable than many other facilities, and the green competitive advantage can only help this scenario," he concludes. "Progressive environmental policies have long-term financial benefit as well, and we try to measure our business performance on the triple bottom line rather than just a financial pillar. It's more holistic and long-term thinking. Those policies certainly help with motivation and retention at all levels.”
