The Oregon Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America announces Environmental Achievement Award

Christopher Condon, Director of Agronomy at Tetherow wins Environmental Award of Excellence.

Portland, Ore. (Oct 4, 2017):  The Oregon Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (OGCSA) has recognized Christopher Condon, Director of Agronomy at Tetherow as the recipient of the Michael S. Hindahl Environmental Award of Excellence.  This award will be presented On October 24, 2017 during the OGCSA Environmental Meeting at The Oregon Golf Club.

Tetherow is an Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary; and was the first golf course in Oregon to achieve the certification. Tetherow’s pledge to ensuring environmentally sound philosophies and practices are integrated into nearly every aspect of the course development and on-going agronomic practices that support sustainability and environmental excellence.

Chris Condon has been the driving force behind Tetherow’s environmental success. Chris has been at the golf course since first breaking ground in 2006. He has been part of every aspect of the club’s construction including the re-naturalization of the clubs natural areas. Recognition of Chris and Tetherow is well overdue.

Tetherow Features:

• Golf course acreage totals 160 acres.
• Tetherow is grassed with fine fescue which requires fewer inputs.
• There are 9 acres of lakes and wetlands.
• Nearly half of the total acres, 73 of the 160 acres, were left natural or were re-naturalized.
• Rock piles and snags were retained to provide shelter for natural animal habitats throughout the resort.
• First in Oregon designated as a Bronze certified signature sanctuary by Audubon International 9/17/2008
• One-million-dollar re-naturalization project following construction
• The club has a webpage dedicated to “The birds of Tetherow”
• First Green host golf course
• Working with the East Cascades Audubon Society to improve the nesting habitat for the Lewis’s woodpecker.
• Bat boxes are placed around the course and brush piles are utilized for creating special habitats.
• Lakes are stocked with bluegill and black crappie

About the Michael S. Hindahl Environmental Award of Excellence

Named in honor of the late Michael S. Hindahl who was a friend of the Oregon Superintendents and an environmental advocate. Hindahl had a PhD in Microbiology and worked for Oregon Health Science University researching AIDS. With a passion for golf and a desire to apply his skills to the industry, he helped the Oregon Superintendents pioneer its Environmental Stewardship Guidelines.  Just prior to his passing in 2005, Oregon Superintendents gained national notoriety by winning the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship for their work with the Guidelines.  It is the intent of the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association to recognize superintendents and their facilities that have shown leadership and environmental fortitude that exemplify the life of Michael S. Hindahl.