‘Ewe’ll be sorry’: sheep sacked after 55 years as New Zealand golf course turns to mowers
The club made the call when faced with a US$15k bill to replace 125 ewes, and to attract younger members unhappy to deal with ‘animal crap’
The Tahuna Golf Club in New Zealand is bringing to an end more than half a century of tradition by getting rid of the flock of sheep that has long kept its fairways trim.
The club, some 120 kilometres south of Auckland in the Waikato region, made the decision when faced with a bill of NZ$25,000 (US$14,787.50) for replacing 125 ewes this year.
Life member Frank Hopper said another consideration was the desire to attract younger members who might not be happy negotiating the sheep dung as they lined up their iron shots.
“There’s been a desire from people to play on a fully groomed course as opposed to playing with sheep on the course,” Hopper said.
“The most obvious reason is that there’s no animal crap on the course; it’s easier to clean your shoes and gear when you come off the course if it’s a groomed course.”
While New Zealand’s 25 million sheep far outnumber its human population of around five million, the Tahuna club is not the only golf course in the world with ovine groundsmen.
