Sustainable Golf Landscapes

The landscape architect, Sharon Fowler, specified sand cordgrass (left) throughout the golf course and other native grasses, such as gulf muhly (center), and hardy flowers like the dune sunflower.

The RedTail Golf Club at Heathrow Country Estates in Heathrow, Florida, will unveil a panorama of native grasses, Florida wildflowers and historic oaks, assuming the hurricanes subside long enough to allow the work to be completed.

?EUR??,,????'??One of the exciting things about the native grasses is layering grasses of different heights, colors, and textures to frame the golf holes,?EUR??,,????'?? Sharon Fowler, the landscape architect, explained to LASN. Sand cordgrass runs throughout the course, but Fowler also incorporates crowngrass (Paspalum quadrifarium); gulf muhly; white fountain grass; Fakahatchee grass and dwarf Fakahatchee grass; Spartina patens; dune sunflower; Gaillardia; Yaupon holly; southern wax myrtle; and slash pines. Fowler also selected what she calls "character oaks,?EUR??,,????'?? planted oak trees that have the character of the beautiful existing live oaks. ?EUR??,,????'??I also am using red maples, bald cypress, and many mitigation plants, such as pickerel weed and bulrush,?EUR??,,????'?? she adds.