Asheville Municipal Golf Course is now a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The course cut its water use 50% and planted 1.5 acres of native plants.

Asheville Municipal Golf Course is now a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The city and the course operator, Commonwealth Golf Partners, announced the certification Wednesday.

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program is run by Audubon International. The city said proven action for the environment weighs heavily in certification, along with outreach and education. It said the award recognizes 18 months of work by the course management team at “Muni,” the city-owned course in East Asheville.

What the course changed

The city listed these measures in its announcement:

  • Water use down 50% a year. An in-ground soil sensor system now tracks moisture, so staff can better judge when and where to water.
  • Fertilizer down nearly 20%. A plan started in 2025 uses frequent soil testing and weather forecasts to predict how much nitrogen the soil will release.
  • Invasive plants out, native plants in. Teams removed invasive species around the course and replanted with natives.

The city said the work is also part of rebuilding from Hurricane Helene with resilience in mind.

How the neighbors paid for the plantings

Neighbors in Beverly Hills, the neighborhood around the course, found the opportunity and applied for the grants themselves, the city said. They raised more than $29,000:

Source Amount
City of Asheville Neighborhood Matching Grant Program $5,000
Fairways Foundation Just over $19,000
Individual donations to Friends of Asheville Muni $5,000

The Fairways Foundation grant paid for native plants across 1.5 acres of the course. The new areas include:

  • a pollinator garden and kiosk above the 11th green, along Fairway Drive
  • a native planting in the woods between the 13th and 14th holes

Community participation also counted. Residents turned out for Audubon International’s BioBlitz, a species-counting competition held on golf courses, over the past two summers. The city credited that turnout as part of the certification.

“We look forward with great excitement to participating in future BioBlitz events and continuing our environmental stewardship for years to come,” said Chris Corl, the city’s director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities.

What it means for you

The pollinator garden sits above the 11th green along Fairway Drive, by its information kiosk. Friends of Asheville Muni, the course’s support group, funds youth programs and course improvements, and it covered costs tied to the certification.

The city said Muni plans to take part in future BioBlitz events. The course is at 226 Fairway Drive. See our East Asheville neighborhood guide and our parks and trails guide for more nearby.