Ecorazzi

When Justin Timberlake isn’t performing in front of thousands of fans with beats from his latest album, the singer can often be found getting a few strokes in on the nearest golf course. So passionate is Timberlake about golfing that he recently purchased an older course and invested $16 million in renovating it.

“Originally it was called Woodstock Hills, and it was the first place my dad taught me to hit a ball,” he said in recent interview. “And last year we found out they were going to auction it off and turn it into a development. So we thought it was such a landmark for the community, we’d scoop it and save it. And we did. We were able to before it was auctioned off.”

Though golf courses aren’t know for being especially environmentally-friendly, the 28-year-old artist has turned the newly renamed Mirimichi Golf Course into the “greenest” golfing destination in the nation. It recently became the first project in the United States to receive the Audubon International’s Classic Sanctuary certification. From the article,

For example, irrigation and drainage systems reuse and maximize the use of rainwater; native grass areas and waste bunkers reduce the amount of property that must be maintained; more lake areas and recirculating streams support wildlife; and, instead of equipment sheds, a “Natural Resource Management Center” has a biodegradable treatment of rinse water.

Timberlake is also working to add a fleet of electric golf carts powered by solar panels — as well as a future LEED-certified clubhouse and food and beverage operations that use recycled and biodegradable materials. Eventually, Mirimichi hopes to become the world’s first golf course to calculate its own carbon footprint.

Golfing’s newest green site officially opens on July 25th.