Edward Robert "Bobby" Ginn III, chairman and CEO of Ginn Resorts, has joined The Environmental Institute for Golf's Advisory Council. The Institute is the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Ginn is the 25th member of The Institute's Advisory Council, headed by World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, which provides guidance to The Institute's board of trustees in the areas of outreach, fundraising and strategic planning. The members were selected to enhance The Institute's ability to cultivate relationships with current and potential donors, as well as communicate the importance of the work conducted by The Institute.

"Bobby is a welcome addition to the Advisory Council and he will bring a refreshing way of thinking to this powerful group," Norman said. "His environmental stewardship at all of his communities is commendable, and The Institute will gain a great deal from his involvement over the next few years."

Working closely with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and other environmental agencies and groups, Ginn Resorts has set aside thousands of acres for wildlife sanctuaries, wetlands, uplands and natural-vegetation buffers. Ginn Resorts has been praised by the National Audubon Society for its work in preserving two bald eagle nests at Tesoro, a master-planned community in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The preservation effort required a major redesign of the community after a horned owl forced a pair of eagles from their nest into another refuge near the proposed clubhouse. Within hours, construction crews stopped work and erected a large, circular fence around the eagles. The surrounding property, originally designated for 30 homesites and a corporate office building, was instead converted to a permanent preservation area.

"At Tesoro, the development team created a 'critter thoroughfare,' a wildlife corridor that crosses the property from east to west, providing a safe haven for alligators, deer, bobcats and other animals," said Ginn. "The development team at Ginn Reunion Resort went to great lengths to preserve the habitat of sand skinks, a rare lizard found only in Central Florida, by setting aside two conservation sites approximately 23 acres wide that offer a sandy haven for the five species of endangered skinks native to the area. To minimize the loss of vegetation at Reunion Resort, $2 million was spent during construction to temporarily relocate 266 oak trees to a tree farm on the south end of the property. After land-clearing work was completed, trees were replanted on the golf course. At Bella Collina, 52 acres of wetlands and 27 acres of uplands were placed into a conservation district that never can be rezoned. We also created a 68-acre preservation area for gopher tortoises found on the property and safely relocated them to their new home."

Ginn Resorts is a privately-held resort development and management company specializing in exclusive leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities. The company develops and operates communities across the United States and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Celebration, Fla., the firm’s principals have more than three decades of experience in creating large-scale, master-planned resorts and recreation-oriented communities. For more information, visit www.ginnresorts.com.

The Environmental Institute for Golf is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. The Institute concentrates on delivering programs and services involving research, education and outreach that communicate the best management practices of environmental stewardship on the golf course. For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.

GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.

The Environmental Institute for Golf's Advisory Council:

* Gregg Breningmeyer, John Deere Golf & Turf One Source director of sales and marketing
* Tom Crow, founder of Cobra Golf and a retired trustee for The Institute
* Pete Dye, golf course architect
* John Foster, West Coast Turf president
* Sergio Garcia, PGA Tour professional
* Dana Garmany, Troon Golf chairman and CEO
* Edward Robert "Bobby" Ginn III, Ginn Resorts chairman and CEO
* Michael Happe, The Toro Co. managing director, commercial equipment business
* Jack R. Harrell Jr., Harrell’s Fertilizer CEO
* Herb Henkel, Ingersoll-Rand chairman, president and CEO
* Bill Jones III, Sea Island Co. chairman and CEO
* Paul C. Kanavos, Flag Luxury Properties, LLC chairman and CEO
* Bill Kubly, Landscapes Unlimited CEO and immediate past chairman of The Institute's board of trustees
* Owen G. Larkin, Vineyard Golf Club (Edgartown, Mass.) president
* Rafael Martinez, Republic Capital Corp. president and Institute trustee
* Gary N. McClung, Midway Ford/Sterling Truck Center president and developer of Quintero Golf and Country Club (Peoria, Ariz.)
* Ken Melrose, retired chairman and CEO of The Toro Co.
* Greg Norman, Advisory Council chairman, Institute trustee and Great White Shark Enterprises chairman and CEO
* Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, Valderrama Golf Club (Sotogrande, Spain) owner and president
* David Pillsbury, president of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties and chairman of The Institute’s board of trustees
* Vijay Singh, PGA Tour professional
* Joe Steranka, PGA of America CEO
* Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Dubai World chairman
* Bob Wood, Nike Golf president, Institute vice chairman/treasurer
* Weldon Wyatt, Sage Valley Golf Club (Graniteville, S.C.) founder and CEO

For more information contact:
Teri Harris, GCSAA managing director, development, at 785-832-4465 or tharris@gcsaa.org
Ryan Julinson, Ginn Resorts vice president, communications, at 321-939-4705 or rjulison@ginncompany.com

Contact: Jeff Bollig, GCSAA director of communications
800-472-7878, ext. 4430 or jbollig@gcsaa.org