SN Digital provides easy ways to live green at new Web site Ecologue.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pulling together the expertise of popular Scripps Networks brands including the leading media brands in home & food - HGTV and Food Network – SN Digital announces the launch of Ecologue.com, a green living hub dedicated to enabling and inspiring healthy, practical, eco-friendly changes to homes, gardens and everyday life. (http://www.ecologue.com)

HGTV's first-ever Green Home was built at Tradition Hilton Head in Hardeeville, S.C.

Offering access to the broad spectrum of Scripps Networks home design experts including everyone’s favorite green handyman, Carter Oosterhouse; along with bringing together unique experts such as eco-designer and architect Michelle Kaufmann and the green gurus at Natural Home and Plenty magazines, Ecologue.com is a friendly spot on the Web that helps individuals find their own shade of green – the one that fits their life.

First-ever College Golf Combine Tees off at Tradition National Golf Course July 28-29

WHO: Tradition National Golf Course, a Tommy Fazio design, hosts the first College Golf Combines in association with the International Junior Golf Tour and Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy, sponsored by UNDER ARMOUR and Callaway Golf.

WHAT: Junior golfers from across the country and around the world will be given an exciting, new opportunity to be evaluated by college coaches.

WHEN:
July 28, Monday, 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. check-in at Tradition National Golf Course; 7:30 - 9:45 Girls & Boys Tee Times #1 and #10; 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Boys skills assessment at driving range, short game and putting green; 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. lunch; noon - 2:15 p.m. Boys Tee Times #1 and #10; 1 - 5 p.m. Girls & Boys skills assessment at driving range, short game and putting green; 6:30 - 8 p.m. barbecue dinner; 7:30 p.m. guest speaker.
July 29, Tuesday, 7 - 9:15 a.m. Boys Tee Times #1 and #10; 8 a.m. - noon Girls & Boys skills assessment at driving range, short game and putting green; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. lunch; 11:30 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.; Girls & Boys Tee Times #1 and #10; noon - 4 p.m. Boys skills assessment at driving range, short game and putting green; 3 - 7:30 p.m. individual meetings with coaches.

WHERE: Tradition National Golf Course, Tradition Hilton Head, Hardeeville, S.C., U.S. 278 25 miles west of Hilton Head Island and one mile east of Interstate 95's Exit 8.

WHY: In an effort to provide college golf opportunities for all junior golfers, the first-ever College Golf Combines will bring exposure to junior golfers seeking to continue their golf careers at the collegiate level and earn a degree.

TRADITION HILTON HEAD, Hardeeville, S.C. -- In an effort to provide college golf opportunities for all junior golfers, UNDER ARMOUR, in association with the International Junior Golf Tour and Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, is sponsoring the first-ever College Golf Combines that will bring exposure to junior golfers seeking to continue their golf careers at the collegiate level and earn a degree.

Two combines will unite junior golfers and college golf coaches from Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior colleges. An East Combine is scheduled for July 28-29 at Tradition Hilton Head’s Tradition National Golf Club in Hardeeville.

The following week, a West Combine is slated for Aug. 4-5 at East Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif.

“With more than 100 recruits already registered from throughout the United States and around the world, the East Combine has been very well received as a new opportunity for junior golfers to be evaluated by college coaches,” said Tournament Director Stephanie Gelleni.

University of South Florida women's golf coach Marci Kornegay said the golf combine will benefit young people as well as colleges’ golf programs.

“What a great service for college golf coaches to be able to observe future players hitting an assortment of skills shots in a pressure situation,” she said. “This golf combine idea is long overdue and could be one of the biggest tools for collegiate recruiting.”


Event: 2008 UNDER ARMOUR College Golf Combines

Date: July 28 & 29, 2008

Time: All Day

Location: Tradition National Golf Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

Participants: Recruits from 2008 through 2013 classes – 78 boys & 23 girls as of July 10

Organization: College Golf Combines in association with the International Junior Golf Tour

Title Sponsor: UNDER ARMOUR

Golf Ball Sponsor: Callaway Golf

Web site: www.collegegolfcombine.com

Purpose: These first college golf combines – one on the East Coast, a second on the West Coast - will bring exposure to junior golfers seeking to continue their golf careers at the collegiate level and earn a degree - junior golfers will be evaluated by college golf coaches from the Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior college levels - the combines will give all juniors an opportunity to be evaluated by more than 40 college coaches already registered, at a fraction of the summer tour cost.

Format: Awards will be given in two divisions for both boys and girls – 2008-2009 and 2010-2014. The combine will have skills assessment both days that will include: 10 and 20 yard bunker shots, chip and pitch shots, putting from 5-10-20-40 feet and 100-125-150 yard shots. The first day on the course will include: two driving holes, 60 yard bunker shot, par 5 lay-up to 110-85 yards, greenside chip/pitch shots, multiple tee shots on par 3s and a challenging 19th hole. The second day will be an 18-hole tournament.

HGTV Green Home 2008: Winner Walkthrough Video

http://blogs.hgtv.com/hgtv/greenhome/2008/07/first_look_winner_walkthrough.html

Posted by kwalters – July 23, 2008 10:06 AM

The winner walkthrough video is here! Watch Marsha Coulthard tour her new house in Tradition Hilton Head, in Hardeeville, S.C.
Courtesy, HGTV

Keeping it 'green' and energy-efficient at Tradition Hilton Head

Courtesy of the Island Packet of Hilton Head Island, S.C.
http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/story/547271.html
Keep all options open for conserving energy
Communities should make it easier to install solar, other alternative energy systems.
Published Friday, July 11, 2008

Every set of covenants written has a mechanism for changing them. Communities whose rules preclude installing solar and wind energy devices should look at doing just that.

The ability to change covenants recognizes that circumstances change and rules that made sense 10, 20 or 30 years ago may not make sense today. With today's high energy prices and the critical need to reduce our reliance on oil, we should be looking at ways to encourage alternative energy sources, not discouraging them.

We urge homeowners associations where such attached structures are prohibited to start the process now to change the rules. At a minimum, associations should develop guidelines to look at such applications individually to ensure that architectural and aesthetic standards are met.

We don't have to sacrifice aesthetics for energy efficiencies, and we should encourage the latter.

Palmetto Electric Cooperative, after initially turning down the idea, is now on board with "net metering." The pilot program allows customers to sell excess electricity generated by solar or other alternative energy systems. Utilities like Palmetto Electric were required to look at offering the program under the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The idea didn't generate much interest at first, but "we think it's the right message to send," said Jimmy Baker, the cooperative's vice president of marketing and public relations.

Baker said cooperative customers who are interested in net metering should make an appointment to discuss the program and their plans. Right now, the only home participating is the HGTV Green Home in Tradition Hilton Head in Hardeeville.

Baker cautioned that the cost of renewable energy systems and the amount of excess electricity they generate makes for a long payback. How quickly someone can recoup their costs for such a system depends on the energy source and how much electricity it generates.

But net metering will allow customers to recoup at least some costs through the sale of excess energy, and we applaud the cooperative's change of heart on net metering.

We must set aside outdated conventions when it comes to alternative energy and green building. Beaufort County officials tried to do that with a workshop on sustainable energy last month. Those attending brainstormed ways to conserve energy and tap alternative power sources.

Some ideas that emerged were:

• Expanding mass transit.

• Buying hybrids for use as county vehicles or use those that run on biodiesel.

• Using more video conferencing to reduce travel expenses for both county employees and agencies that work with the county.

• Giving tax breaks to residents with solar panels or small wind turbines that generate power.

• Exploringsuchtechnologies as turbines that generate power from the tides and biomass boilers to generate power.

A panel created by Gov. Mark Sanford last yearhas come up with50 recommendations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee plans to issue its report later this month. The Charleston Post & Courier reports that among its recommendations are:

• Developing energy efficiency programs to help residential, commercial and industrial consumers reduce energy use.

• Drafting a renewable energy portfolio, which would include new nuclear energy proposals.

• Improving development patterns and upping efforts to reduce transportation pollution.

Rep. Ben Hagood told the Post & Courierthe recommendations would need to be instituted through legislation, regional planning, new policies, executive orders, tax incentives and credits, community interest and local government ordinances.

The report is to be posted on the Internet, and the public will be invited to comment. That feedback will be used for a final report that is expected this fall.

Addressing energy conservation clearly is a multipronged process. No one idea holds the answer, but the more options we have, the better our chances for success.

Florida Woman Handed Key to Tradition Hilton Head’s First-Ever HGTV Green Home

HARDEEVILLE – (Friday, June 27, 2008) Marsha Coulthard, a Bradenton, Fla., medical billing clerk who once lived in Bluffton, got her first look at and the key to her new HGTV Green Home at Core Communities’ Tradition Hilton Head in Hardeeville on Friday.

Dozens of HGTV designers, Green Home sponsors and suppliers and Tradition Hilton Head officials applauded as Coulthard walked up the front steps to the new home she won after her name was drawn among more than 21 million mail-in and online entries this spring.

“My house, it’s so pretty,” said Coulthard as she dabbed away tears with a tissue. “It’s all just too much.” She was joined by her son, Matt Souligne, also of Bradenton. HGTV Green Home Designer Jack Thomasson handed Coulthard the key to the eco-friendly, sustainable home.

Also, officials from General Motors in Detroit gave Coulthard keys to a 2008 Hybrid Yukon.

Coulthard and Souligne were then given a tour of their new home by Thomasson and co-designer Linda Woodrum, a Hilton Head Island interior designer.

Tradition Hilton Head Public Relations Director Martin Sauls IV welcomed Coulthard and Souligne to their new home.

“We are excited to have you as a member of our family here at Tradition Hilton Head,” Sauls said. “And Core Communities congratulates HGTV and all of their sponsors who helped build this wonderful home which serves as a symbol of Tradition Hilton Head’s commitment to building with respect and protection of the environment.”

Sponsor representatives on hand for Friday’s Green Home key presentation were Shaw Industries Inc., Sears, General Motors, SCJ, Kohler, Caesarstone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.

In addition to the fully furnished home and the GMC Yukon hybrid, Coulthard also was given an electric Club Car golf cart by Tradition Hilton Head. The golf cart’s battery is recharged by electricity provided by roof-top solar panels, which also serve as supplemental power for the home. The home is a 2,000-square-foot Lowcountry cottage style, three-bedroom, two-story design by Savannah architects Dawson Wissmach.

The entire prize package is valued at approximately $850,000.

Tradition Hilton Head is a 5,300-acre master-planned, sustainable community in Hardeeville.

Photo caption: Marsha Coulthard is handed the key to her new HGTV Green Home in Tradition Hilton Head in Hardeeville by HGTV’s Jack Thomasson on Friday, June 27.

Florida Resident Wins HGTV Green Home in Tradition Hilton Head

Florida Resident Wins First HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008(SM)

BRADENTON, Fla., June 8, 2008 /PRNewswire

"Forever, it will change my life forever ... in a good way," said a jubilant Marsha Coulthard when learned she was the winner of the first ever HGTV Green Home located in the new development of Tradition Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Coulthard, a 43-year old medical billing clerk and green enthusiast from Bradenton, Florida, was at home with her son and parents when HGTV's Chi-Lan Lieu knocked on the door to let her know that she won the HGTV Green Home grand-prize package valued at approximately $850,000. Her excitement at receiving the news was televised on the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008 special on Sunday, June 8.

"I'm so excited. I can't tell you," said Coulthard. "I entered almost every day trying to win the home."

Coulthard, an avid HGTV viewer whose name was drawn from more than 21 million entries, previously lived in nearby Bluffton, S.C., and is excited for a chance to return to the area. Her excitement about the home is not only the location, but also the fact that it is green as she makes an effort to recycle, reduce and reuse. Her grand-prize package includes the new, eco-friendly and fully furnished low-country style cottage with just over 2,000 square feet along with a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid.

"We were thrilled with the response to the first annual HGTV Green Home," said Jim Samples, president of HGTV. "The number of entries far exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that our viewers have an interest in pursuing a greener lifestyle. It is incredibly gratifying to HGTV to see that consumers turn to both the network and to HGTV.com as resources for accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living."

Located in the City of Hardeeville's Tradition Hilton Head, a 5,300-acre master-planned community near the popular beach resort of Hilton Head, the HGTV Green Home includes three bedrooms and two and a half baths and features both construction and design elements that are known to contribute to an energy efficient, cleaner and even healthier living environment.

"Tradition Hilton Head was the perfect community for our first-ever HGTV Green Home," said Samples. We wanted to select a community that demonstrated that you can live responsibly in a desirable location with modern amenities and the response to the giveaway indicated that we were successful."

All eyes on HGTV Sunday evening to see who won the Giveaway Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head

Excitement is building for this Sunday evening’s announcement of the winner of the first-ever HGTV Green Home, located right here in the heart of the Lowcountry at Tradition Hilton Head.

“I hope everyone in the Lowcountry who loves homes and new communities tunes in to the show Sunday,” said Martin Sauls IV, public relations director for Tradition Hilton Head, the 5,300-acre master-planned, mixed-use, sustainable community in Hardeeville being developed by Core Communities.

“Anyone who is interested in new building designs and technologies, especially the new ‘green’ wave of building, should watch this show,” he said.

“The national exposure Tradition Hilton Head and Core Communities have received throughout this joint venture with HGTV has positioned our company as one of the most innovative in green technology and sustainable concepts in today’s market,” Sauls said.

The winner of the Tradition Hilton Head green home has been notified but is being kept secret until Sunday evening. “The show Sunday promises to be a nail-biter,” Sauls said.

The HGTV Green Home Giveaway winner special airs at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

HGTV has been amazed at the public response to the green home program.

“We were thrilled with the response to the first annual HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head,” said Jim Samples, president of HGTV. “The number of entries far exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that our viewers as well as our advertisers have an interest in pursuing a greener lifestyle. It is incredibly gratifying to HGTV to see that consumers turn to both the network and to HGTV.com as a resource for accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living.”

HGTV said 21 million entries were received to win the green home, a package valued at approximately $850,000. People could enter to win online once a day.

Tradition Hilton Head and Core Communities are creating an environmentally responsible community that attracted the attention of HGTV, leading the channel’s executives to choose the development for its first green home.

“Tradition Hilton Head is the perfect community for our first-ever HGTV Green Home,” Samples said. “We wanted to select a community that demonstrated that you can live responsibly in a desirable location with modern amenities.”

On Monday, June 9, there will be an online video at www.HGTV.com of the winner answering questions posted by the public recently at the Web site.

Nearly 10,000 people toured the HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head from March 24 through May 18. Some 150 United Way of the Lowcountry agency volunteers conducted the tours. Tradition Hilton Head contributed $94,000 to the United Way of the Lowcountry from proceeds collected during the public tours of HGTV’s Green Home here.

Tradition Hilton Head Contributes $94,000 to United Way of the Lowcountry from HGTV Green Home Tours Proceeds

Tradition Hilton Head contributed $94,000 to the United Way of the Lowcountry from proceeds collected during public tours of HGTV’s Green Home here.
Nearly 10,000 people toured the HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head from March 24 through May 18. Approximately 150 United Way of the Lowcountry agency volunteers conducted the tours. HGTV is giving away the home, and people entered to win online through May 9. The winner will be announced during an HGTV special June 8 at 8 p.m.
On hand for Friday’s $94,000 contribution were Clarece Walker, president and CEO of United Way of the Lowcountry; Jack Alderman, chairman of the United Way board of directors; Jill Briggs, United Way executive vice president; David Page, president of Tradition Hilton Head; Martin Sauls IV, public relations director for Tradition; and about 40 United Way agency volunteers.
Walker said Tradition Hilton Head’s contribution is an excellent example of the business community’s support of United Way’s efforts to improve the lives of others.
“We are very grateful to Core Communities, Tradition Hilton Head and HGTV for providing this amazing opportunity for us to partner with them to help those in need in Beaufort and Jasper Counties,” Walker said.
“On behalf of United Way of the Lowcountry board of directors, partner agencies, volunteers, contributors, staff and most of all the people who will receive help and hope from the generous $94,000 contribution, we applaud Tradition Hilton Head’s generous community spirit,” she said. “Because of their commitment to the community, the 39 agencies funded by United Way will receive much needed funds to continue the great work they do everyday.”
Several United Way agencies received grants for providing volunteers to conduct the HGTV Green Home public tours. The grants were awarded on Friday to agencies according to the number of volunteers they provided and number of hours worked at the green home. Agencies and their awards are:
ACCESS Network – represented Friday by Letisha Scotland; $5,000 to provide case management, counseling, education and prevention services to people affected by homelessness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other public health issues.
American Red Cross Palmetto Chapter – represented by Debbie Szpanka; $6,630 to provide disaster relief, health and safety services, blood services and emergency food and shelter.
Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health – represented by Angela Gabriel Walton, $2,500 to provide septic tank installation for low-income families.
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry-Ridgeland Club – represented by Anne Walker; $8,370 to provide after-school and summer programs for children in Jasper County.
Senior Services – represented by Patricia Jenkins and Jannette Williams; $2,500 to provide noon meals to elderly and homebound individuals.
Thumbs Up – represented by Kevin Latulip; $5,000 to provide early intervention services to children whose parents have special needs.
YMCA – represented by Mike Bostwick and Tracy Robinson; $5,000 to provide scholarships for families who can’t afford to pay membership fees and participate in the athletic, nutrition and childcare programs that improve the quality of life in our community.
Tradition Hilton Head, a 5,300-acre master-planned, mixed-use and sustainable community, is being developed by Core Communities, the award-winning developer of St. Lucie West, Fla., and Tradition Florida.
Page applauded the United Way’s work in the community and its agency volunteers who conducted the HGTV Green Home public tours.
“The United Way volunteers made the green home tours a great experience for people visiting the home,” he said. “They were knowledgeable, hard-working and courteous. They were great ambassadors to the thousands of people from all across the country who came here and toured the HGTV Green Home.”
Jack Alderman, chairman of United Way of the Lowcountry, thanked Tradition Hilton Head “for involving the United Way in the HGTV Green Home tours. It meant a lot to us, and the contribution to United Way is sincerely appreciated.”
Page said Tradition Hilton Head’s partnership with the United Way on the HGTV Green Home tours was a perfect fit.
“The United Way, like Tradition Hilton Head, is committed to nurturing healthy communities,” Page said. “We are dedicated to making Tradition Hilton Head a sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially healthy community.”
He said Tradition Hilton Head’s involvement with the HGTV Green Home helped showcase the development’s commitment to the environment, and that being a green community is the “willingness to contribute to the health and wellbeing of the surrounding region. That’s why the United Way is such a deserving charity to be involved with.”
Page noted that HGTV chose Tradition Hilton Head for its first green home over hundreds of other communities.
“HGTV could have chosen any community in the country for its green home, but they chose Tradition Hilton Head because of our commitment to environmental stewardship,” Page said. “Core Communities places great importance on protecting the natural environment in the communities we develop. Our new leadership in ‘green design’ is just part of the responsible way we choose to conduct business.”
Alderman said he is proud to be associated with a conscientious developer like Core Communities.
“Core Communities is widely recognized for its sustainable, eco-friendly and healthy communities,” Alderman said.
Tradition Hilton Head also features a “Green Preview Center” which serves to educate visitors about the significance of building green homes, developing green communities and making existing homes greener

Tradition Hilton Head’s free Tommy Dorsey Orchestra concert draws thousands of music fans

More than 3,000 people attended Tradition Hilton Head’s free Tommy Dorsey Orchestra concert at the Hardeeville community’s Tradition National Golf Course on May 18. Tradition Hilton Head hosted the concert as a way to thank people for touring the HGTV Green Home there. Nearly 10,000 people toured the HGTV Green Home from March 24 through May 18. HGTV is giving away the home, and people entered to win online through May 9. The winner will be announced during an HGTV special on June 8 at 8 p.m.

David Page is president of Tradition Hilton Head, and Martin Sauls IV is public relations director.

Internationally Acclaimed Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Brings Big Band Sound to Tradition Hilton Head May 18

Big band music lovers will swing to the sentimental sound of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, led by renowned trombonist Buddy Morrow, at Tradition Hilton Head in Hardeeville, S.C., on Sunday, May 18, as part of a celebration of the closing of tours of the HGTV Green Home.

The highly successful tours of the eco-friendly home, featured on HGTV and which will be given away, are raising thousands of dollars for the United Way of the Lowcountry.

The public is invited to the free open-air concert beginning at 5 p.m. on the lawn between the Green Home and Tradition Hilton Head National Golf Course’s Pro Shop. The public is encouraged to come early. Coolers will not be allowed but refreshments will be available. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. The Green Home will be open for final tours until 8 p.m.

Tradition Hilton Head, a 5,300-acre master-planned, green and sustainable mixed-use community being developed by Core Communities of South Carolina, is presenting the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra concert as thanks to the community for supporting the United Way by touring the HGTV Green Home.

“People throughout the United States and overseas have taken tours of the HGTV Green Home, and through the purchase of tickets, they are supporting the United Way and its 39 agencies that work to make our community a better place to live,” said David Page, President of Tradition Hilton Head.

“They’ve also benefited in learning how they can make their homes and lives greener through Tradition Hilton Head’s Green Preview Center,” he said.

The Green Preview Center, located next to Tradition Hilton Head’s Welcome Center, is a state-of-the-art showroom which features many components of green construction practices used in achieving LEED Gold Certification.

“These green components can also be implemented into your new home construction here at Tradition from any of our preferred builders,” Page said.

Morrow is considered one of the world's great trombone players and is a frequent featured performer with bands of the big band era. Under his direction, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra retains the authentic sound and style of Dorsey while incorporating contemporary music into the repertoire. Morrow first played with Dorsey in 1938.

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the best all-time big band dance bands. Dorsey, dubbed "the sentimental gentleman of swing," was a master at creating warm, romantic, and melodic moods. Perhaps his band’s most famous singer was Frank Sinatra.

Dorsey died in 1956.
For more information, visit www.TraditionHH.com and www.buddymorrowproductions.com