In the heart of Boca Raton is one of the most exclusive golf and country clubs—The Broken Sound Club. It offers 27 residential villages, a large clubhouse, indoor and outdoor dining options, two golf courses, pools, 23 tennis courts, and a 35,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. Besides its many accolades for its amenities—such as being rated a five-star Platinum Club of America—it is also leading the way when it comes to sustainability.
Broken Sound has won a number of key environmental awards. It is only the second golf facility in the United States and 14th in the world to be certified by the international non-profit Golf Environment Organization. It also received the Audubon Sanctuary Certification for both of its golf courses. Next, the country club received honors from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for its impressive 95 percent recycling rate, which is three times the statewide recycling rate for the commercial sector. It was also a Green Corporate Citizen award finalist at the department’s 2012 Corporate Recycling and Waste Conference. Finally, just this past January, Broken Sound was chosen as the Overall and National Private recipient of the 2017 Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards (ELGA). ELGA winners are stewards for the environment and excellent examples of how the golf industry can develop superior playing conditions in tandem with environmental management practices.
The Broken Sound Club started off by making a few small changes:
- Eliminated styrofoam cups and replaced them with biodegradable Ecotainer cups
- Reduced the number of plastic water bottles used
- Created a recycling program for cans and plastic
- Added a separate dumpster for cardboard
- Installed energy efficient light bulbs and motion sensor lighting systems
Over time, Broken Sound Club continued its environmental efforts with the following larger initiatives:
- Collaborated with the City of Boca Raton to use reclaimed water for the golf courses and common areas
- Built a butterfly garden and birdhouses to attract species
- Established the first industrial composting project in Florida
- Installed solar panels to heat the pool and hot water heaters
- Achieved LEED certification for the Moonstone Spa & Fitness Center
- Installed over 20 beehives to increase appreciation and protection of bees
- Added a Tesla electric car charging station to the property
- Moved to paperless accounting
- Installed water reduction toilets and shower heads
These efforts have resulted in some impressive benefits for the environment. There were no chemical inputs during the past three years from the golf facilities. Additionally, they created a safe and welcoming habitat for native wildlife including several endangered species like the red crowned parrot, ruby throated hummingbirds, and the American Bald Eagle. This habitat has helped save countless birds and other wildlife. Next, they responsibly reduced landfill disposal and minimized adverse effects from fertilizer and other chemicals. Finally, the beekeepers produce more than 1,000 ounces of pure, natural honey every year.