Michigan’s northernmost course becomes a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary
The certification caps a long, stop-start history. The property first entered the Audubon program in 2010–2011 under Keweenaw County ownership, but the effort went dormant after 2011. John Mueller, Keeper of the Greens/Owner, purchased the Lodge in 2018 and began the golf course sanctuary work in earnest in 2020–2021 — leading the property, with several members of the KML team, through an on-site visit in 2024 and the final categories approved this summer.
“We did not approach the certification process as a badge to hang on the wall, but as a way to get better in our stewardship of the land,” said John Mueller, Keeper of the Greens/Owner of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. “A historic wilderness golf course is shaped by nature instead of by sprinklers, so much of what Audubon asks for is already in our DNA. Earning the certification simply holds us to it, in writing, and pushes us to keep going. Getting people closer to nature was never a project with an end date.”
To reach certification, a course must demonstrate a high degree of environmental quality across six areas: Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, and Outreach and Education. Among the Lodge’s accomplishments:
- Establishing “Monarchs in the Rough” pollinator plots with milkweed and Maximilian sunflowers
- Maintaining minimal chemical inputs across significant acreage, with hybrid and electric maintenance equipment and lower-toxicity products
- Protecting surface and groundwater with vegetative buffers, raised mowing heights, and manual weed and debris removal in place of aquatic herbicides
- Co-existing with resident and migrating wildlife — including sandhill cranes, fox families, deer, and seasonal geese — rather than displacing it
“Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Golf Course has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property,” said Ken Benoit, CEO of Audubon International.
The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge golf course is a historic wilderness 9-hole course designed around the Keweenaw terrain, with views of Brockway Mountain and the surrounding wilderness. Its approach is captured in three words — Hickory, Natural Fairways, Walking — and each supports the sanctuary. Natural fairways are the heart of it: conditions shaped by the land rather than by irrigation and chemical inputs, which is precisely the low-input, habitat-first relationship the Audubon program is built around. Walking-only play removes riding carts, along with their emissions and soil compaction, keeping the course quieter and gentler for the wildlife that shares it. And hickory clubs ask golfers to take the course as nature presents it, aligning expectations with a naturally maintained landscape rather than a manicured one.
The golf sanctuary designation is the Lodge’s second certification from Audubon International. In May 2024, the property earned Certified Gold status in Audubon International’s Green Lodging Program, recognizing its practices in water quality, water conservation, waste minimization, resource conservation, and energy efficiency — extending the property’s environmental commitment beyond the course.
The Lodge site, including the golf course, is listed on the state and national historic registers, sits within the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, and is a member of the United States Golf Association. The course adjoins roughly 32,000 acres held by The Nature Conservancy and shares its northern border with land owned by the Michigan Nature Association.
About Audubon International: Audubon International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Troy, N.Y. In addition to golf courses, Audubon International provides programs for businesses, schools, communities, and new developments, with the purpose of delivering high-quality environmental education and facilitating the sustainable management of natural resources. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses is endorsed by the United States Golf Association. For more information, call 1-844-767-9051 or visit www.auduboninternational.org.
Contact: media@keweenawresort.com
About: The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge is a historic wilderness lodging establishment at the top of the Keweenaw, supported by outdoor activities, rustic worldly food, and education. The four-season resort has been a fixture in the Keweenaw since breaking ground on the project in 1934 as part of a WPA program. The Lodge is the headquarters for the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park. As a Certified B Corp™ and an Audubon International Green Lodging establishment, the Lodge practices sustainability, education, and environmental respect in all aspects of operation. Amenities provide guests with the opportunity to enjoy a fun, joyous, and adventuresome experience among the pristine natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — helping guests get closer to nature.
Web Site: https://keweenawmountainlodge.com
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