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 |
