Pusch Ridge Now an Audubon Member

We have EXCITING NEWS for those of you who love to play the Pusch Ridge Golf Course; those who live on or near the Pusch Ridge Golf Course; those who appreciate the wildlife habitat that the Pusch Ridge Golf Course provides; and those who wish to see the course enhanced, made more environmentally focused and the wildlife protected.

As of late June 2025, the Pusch Ridge Golf Course is a member of the Audubon International Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP). The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, since 1991, has guided golf facilities in protecting natural resources and enhancing the environmental quality of their property.

Darryl Janisse, General Manager of El Con Golf, submitted the application and fee for membership to ACSP in late June with approval from the Town of Oro Valley and encouragement from the board and advisors of The Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf (FOPRG). The FOPRG leadership proposed support for the ACSP program to Janisse and his golf course Superintendent Jason Wolf in the Winter months and with the Town’s concurrence, applied for membership in June.

Now the real work begins

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses provides an educational service to help existing golf courses develop effective conservation and wildlife enhancement programs and achieve recognition for their efforts. After the initial assessment and environmental plan is approved, properties in the program may apply for recognition in Wildlife and Habitat Management, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, and Outreach and Education by demonstrating that they have met minimum requirements for each category. Once a course has been recognized in all categories and received a site visit from Audubon International staff they are designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

The Pusch Ridge team has started the process and is currently working on the assessment and environmental plan to be followed by work on the various areas of potential certification. This initial step involves a 29-page planning document – no small effort. And then the action steps begin.

So why is the Pusch Ridge Golf team joining this program?

ACSP lists 4 major objectives why a course should work towards certification, and the Pusch Ridge Golf team is signing on:

1. Enhance wildlife habitats on golf courses by working with the golf course superintendent and providing advice for ecologically sound course management.

2. Encourage active participation in conservation programs by golfers, golf course superintendents, golf officials, and the general public, (to include water conservation).

3. Recognize the people who are actively participating in environmentally responsible projects.

4. Educate the public and golfing community about the benefits of golf courses and the role they play relative to the environment and wildlife.

Pusch Ridge will be joining an elite group of ACSP member courses in the Tucson area to include Sewailo, Starr Pass, and La Paloma. Pusch Ridge stands alone as the only 9-hole course in the Tucson area working towards certification. There are over 2000 golf courses in the US and two dozen countries worldwide working towards ACSP certification. Designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary is awarded to a golf course upon meeting environmental management standards in each area. Achieving certification demonstrates an organization’s leadership, commitment, and high standards of environmental management. It is an ongoing effort with annual renewal fees.

FOPRG Volunteers Needed

The FOPRG board and advisors are committed to be part of the Resource Advisory Team supporting this effort. The FOPRG effort is being led by board secretary Dan Talsma, Board Advisor Carolyn Weinig and volunteers Peter and DeeAnn Leuzinger. Peter, a member of the Prickly Pairs League, served as an advisor to Audubon International for 3 years after serving as a golf course superintendent for two golf courses in the Midwest that became ACSP members. Peter and DeeAnn’s volunteer efforts are much appreciated.

Other volunteers are needed to support this effort as there is much work to be done over the coming months and years. If you have an interest in supporting this effort in some capacity, please contact either Dan or Carolyn at talsmadanielm@gmail.com or carolynweinig@gmail.com respectively. Rumor has it that the fall opening season golf tournament, scheduled for Friday, November 7, will have an “Audubon” theme. Be thinking about your bird costume and volunteer opportunities!

Shown above - (left to right) GM Darryl Janisse, Lynn Zoyiopoulus, Peter and DeeAnn Leuzinger