Letter: Golfing with nature

Letter: Golfing with nature
Gail H. Compton, Wildlife Discoveries
St. Augustine
Editor: More words on the Ponce de Leon Golf Course. I agree with George Jacunski's statement (March 3) that the Ponce Golf Course has never been marketed properly. Not only is this golf course rich in history, it's rich in natural beauty and wildlife.
In the past, I led nature walks for Elderhostel programs held at the Ponce Resort and we sighted wood storks, hawks, bald eagles, loggerhead shrike, rosette spoonbills, snowy egrets, great egrets, great blue heron, little green heron, quail, osprey, kestrels, great horned owls, ibis, fox, river otter and wildflowers. Space is too short here to name all the plants and animals seen on and around the Ponce golf course.
"Nature" golf courses are quite the rage around the country. Not only are they designed to be environmentally friendly, but golfers come from around the country to enjoy the side benefits of playing golf in beautiful natural settings. Several such golf courses close one day a week for maintenance and while the golfers are off for a day bring local naturalists in to conduct nature walks, encouraging programs for the public in nature observation. The resort itself would be ideal for state, regional and national conventions and symposiums for nature and environmental organizations. In fact, the resort is losing a bet if it is not already participating in the Nature Festival May 4-6.
It's about time the St. Augustine area recognizes that nature lovers also spend money on lodgings, meals, gifts, transportation, historic attractions. One of the new places to recognize nature's drawing power is the Alligator Farm which now boasts of "A native bird rookery" on its billboards, as many people visit the Alligator Farm to see birds as to see alligators.
I hate to see us lose an historic and nature-rich golf course just when St. Augustine is waking up to nature tourism. The Ponce Resort and Golf Course has many friends -- golfers and nature lovers.