Audubon Certification

When you walk across the outdoor expanse of Braemar Golf Course, do not be surprised if you find the greens greener and the air fresher than most courses. Braemar is dedicated to the environment, and has earned a prestigious designation as one of the world’s most nature-friendly golf facilities.

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), the educational division of Audubon International, dubbed Braemar a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in the summer of 2004. With the certification, Braemar joins an elite group of about 500 courses in the world that have received the honor.

Before being certified, Braemar Golf Course had to prove its dedication to maintaining high standards of Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation and Water Quality Management.

Braemar has participated in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program since 1985, but a special partnership with Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, Minn., has taken standards to new heights since 2003. From testing water quality on the course to creating brochures that summarize the course’s environmental programs, Wood Lake Nature Center has been an active member of the Braemar team.

An informational kiosk will be built between the course’s first and 10th tees, illustrating how Braemar strives to protect nature. It lists the types of plants, birds and other wildlife golfers might see on the links. Braemar thanks the TORO Giving Program and the Edina Community Foundation for the financial backing necessary to build the kiosk.