Our goal at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge is not certification. We use Audubon International’s process to see where we can do better for the land, the water, and the wildlife on our 600 acres, and then we do the work. This year the process also earned the historic wilderness golf course certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary on August 20, 2026. We consider that a bonus, and we are glad to have it.
How the process helps us improve
Audubon International independently reviews each course in its Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses across six areas:
- Environmental Planning
- Wildlife and Habitat Management
- Chemical Use Reduction and Safety
- Water Conservation
- Water Quality Management
- Outreach and Education
Each area gave us something specific to work on. The course earned the first four in 2024 and 2025, after an on-site visit in August 2024. The remaining two, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety and Water Quality Management, were approved in August 2026. For those, the Lodge provided water samples for analysis and added a containment berm for chemical mixing and handling.
Why it fits the Lodge
The Lodge exists to get people closer to nature. A golf course that works with the land instead of against it follows directly from that purpose. Natural fairways, walking-only play, and hickory-only clubs mean fewer emissions, less soil compaction, and less irrigation and chemical input. Weeds and debris around water features are removed by hand instead of with aquatic herbicides, and vegetative buffers and higher mowing heights protect the water.
It also marries history with the future. The course is part of a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the way it is cared for now is meant to last.
What guests will notice
Guests share the course with sandhill cranes, fox families, deer, and migrating geese. The Lodge lets them stay. Walk to the first hole and look for “Monarchs in the Rough,” a pollinator plot planted with milkweed and Maximilian sunflowers. The Lodge also continues to work with its conservation neighbors, The Nature Conservancy and the Michigan Nature Association, on the land around the course.
The golf season runs June 1 through October 15. The 2027 golf season opens June 1, and cabin guests can reserve a tee time in advance. The Lodge also holds a Certified Gold rating in the Audubon International Green Lodging program, earned in May 2024.