Poppy has already been mentioned in a couple of course overviews for us, but this is her first post from her first golfing outing. And despite a few learnings from her maiden outing, she was a very good girl…

This was to be Poppy’s introduction to dog golf since she was rehomed on her 1st birthday, in late 2022. Her people, David & Fiona, asked an incoming dog’s golfer for any tips – “take water, there’s none on the course”. So a bottle and bowl went into the bag, and Poppy drank it all on a hot sunny day. Other players were friendly and welcoming to her. It’s a pleasant parkland course, payment of £20 for 9 holes by honesty box. But as the golfers stood at the tee, looking up to the flag (a common Scottish golf course theme is to start uphill if possible), they thought this might be her first and last foray onto the fairways, such was her abject howling from the bench that she was temporarily tied to. However, she’s a wee daftie but not daft, and quickly settled to a routine of sitting or lying quietly in the shade of David’s golf bag while he played his shot.

It was a surprisingly challenging course, with 9 holes draped around and over that steep hill and a variety of terrain. Poppy tugged above her weight, so she was a serious liability for David carrying his bag while also attached to a cocker spaniel who wanted to run. Trouble came at a small woodland where he lost his ball: tied to the bag, Poppy followed him in to look for it, pulling the bag over and dragging most of the clubs out behind her and into the undergrowth. There were few bunkers to keep out of, and no wildlife to see or sniff, but the town made an attractive backdrop for the golfers. All three slept very well in the motorhome that night.

The club has catering and does take-away food, and is active socially. Castle Douglas is known as “the Food Town”, so there are several dozen independent businesses offering locally produced food, drink and speciality confectionary. Threave Gardens are nearby (National Trust for Scotland), and dogs are allowed on a lead – as a gardening school, it’s particularly interesting. You can also see Ospreys, Peregrines, Red Kites and maybe otters at the Threave Castle nature reserve a short drive away, with a boat