Stats for the State of Pennsylvania Certified Signature Sanctuaries: 1 Featured Signature Courses: The ACE Club

The ACE Club
Unless you are a history buff, you likely have not heard of the town of Lafayette Hill, PA, although you may be familiar with the nearby town of Valley Forge.  Lafayette Hill, located approximately ¼-mile from the northwest boundary of the City of Philadelphia, was originally part of the land holdings of William Penn.  During the American Revolution, a contingent of Washington’s army occupied the site under the command of General Lafayette and engaged the British there in 1778.  The surrounding community was named Lafayette Hill to honor the general and his exploits in the war. A new golf course, recently opened and named The ACE Club, preserves remnants of stone farm buildings and residences that date to the late-1700s.  The club decided to develop the property according to the Audubon Silver Signature standards in recognition of the 308-acre site’s historical importance, as well as its significance as one of the few remaining green areas that offers wildlife habitat in the community.  Another significant aspect of the property is its location within the Delaware River Basin and proximity to the Schuylkill River, which supplies water to much of the City of Philadelphia.  Because drainage from the golf course eventually flows into the Schuylkill, Audubon International staff worked closely with the project developer to ensure that the course design, water use, pest control measures, and fertilization plans would not have an adverse impact on water quality. 

To conserve water, the golf course incorporates a series of storm water collection basins and ponds that collect and recycle rain water for irrigation.  A drainage system at the on-site conference center pipes all storm water from parking and other areas directly to the irrigation pond on the golf course.  In addition, the project created or preserved 118 acres of wildlife habitat on the golf course and 135 acres on the entire property, including 82 acres of native grassland that require little or no supplemental irrigation.  A five-acre conservation easement, deeded to the Montgomery County Land Trust, protects a habitat corridor for wildlife moving through the property from the river. Another 7.69-acre easement surrounds a creek channel running through the center of the property. The ACE Club, designed by Gary Player and Warren Henderson, was certified as an Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary on May 27, 2004, the first in the state of Pennsylvania.  Learn more about The ACE Club at www.theaceclubonline.com.