Our recent visit to the cow and cattle strewn course of Iona made us wonder just what other creatures besides dogs shared the fairways with golfers around the world. Not just serendipity encounters (like these – Golf Gone Wild: 13 Crazy Animal Encounters You Have to See – Exploring Animals), but more residents (like these – Top 7 golf courses for INCREDIBLE wildlife encounters around the world).

I’ve already reviewed the following UK examples:

· NEW FOREST – Horses

· IONA – Sheep

· RICHMOND – Deer

Bit of research uncovered the following additions to the menagerie:

• SKUKUZA, Kruger Park, South Africa – No fences so lions, elephants, baboons, hippos, crocodiles, and antelope roam the fairways and you must sign a waiver before playng.
• ANGLESEA, Victoria, Australia – Home to over 300 eastern grey kangaroos.
• HANDARA, Bali, Indonesia – Long-tailed macaques who are not shy about searching golf bags for snacks.
• TPC SAWGRASS, Florida, USA – Gator land which is popularly featured on many Instagram posts
• ELEPHANT HILLS, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – In addition to its eponymous elephant residents, you will also encounter warthogs, impala, baboons, and guinea fowl.
• FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS, Alberta, Canada – Elk (don’t expect quiet from them during your putting or driving during the rutting season).
• MAUNA LANI, Hawaii, USA – Protected green sea turtles (honu) bask on lava rocks near the 15^th hole.
• FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER, British Columbia, Canada – Black bears and grizzlies are known to pass though in the summer especially near wooded areas.

Iona is an absolutely legendry golf course which is a true experience to play. But the exceptionality of the play is piqued by the unprecedented degree of “hazards” literally sprinkled throughout the course.

• Water – The biggest water hazard in the UK – the Atlantic Ocean – is the least of your worries as the course is set over 100 yards off of it (still makes for a lovely vista).
• Sand – The course does feature the biggest, nastiest sand trap I have ever come upon. A sprawling, malignant monstrosity perched on a steep incline to boot.
• Visibility – Our hole course, Temple GC, has a famous 10^th hole with a blind par 3 into a 200 yard crater so deep that you can see the flag in it. That hole is nearly ALL of Iona. I wonder if this topology is to minimize the impact of the course on the spectacular sea views by eliminating the visibility of most of the flags? There are poles to guide your drives in the general direction of the hidden flag, but many were knocked over by the wind I assume. A scorecard with map is a must (which you buy at the local Post Office for £1…the course’s primary source of income), but even then finding your next hole is a bit of a treasure hunt, especially if…
• Sheep –Not just obstacles to avoid hitting, but also were cuddled around the Hole 2 tee marker so we couldn’t find it (see photo)
• Flowers – Purple or pink balls are recommended as lots of white and yellow flowers and clumps of white sheep wool further add to the scavenger hunt feel of a round (see photo)
• Natural Fertilizer – This you won’t have any trouble finding. But you will struggle to avoid. We played our own personal rule that you got to move away from poo instead of sending it flying.

So why would one want to put up with so many impediments?

• Creatures – For those so included, the creature caddies provide a distinctive and fun vibe to the day.
• Chipping Practice – The course essentially thin greenery on beach sand which is quite drenched in many places. So there are no real “fairways” and even the concept of a “green” is questionable. So it is nearly 5k of chipping and light rough practice in challenging conditions.
• Scenery – Not just the expansive ocean, but the curious, rocky, distinctly Scottish undulating topology
• Challenge – All of these idiosyncrasies add up to a unique challenge for the jaded golfer.

Golf Links described it as, “Golf in its purest form.”

And for the standard 4 course assessments…

Welcome – Well, there is no welcome at all as there is no clubhouse. Just a sign on the front gate (see photo) advising to have dogs on leads (for the sake of the ubiquitous livestock).

Walk – One would think it is flat, but holes. Lots of blind holes. And they are made blind by the quite dramatically undulating landscape which involves its share of inclines to hike.

Water – Ironically so Scotland – land of rivers, waterfalls and lochs – there was no fresh water anywhere to be seen (aside from an ever-present ocean), so bring some for hot days.

Wildlife – Sheep!!! And occasionally cattle (see photo) and the various sea birds.

Wind Down – Every pub and restaurant in Iona appears to be dog friendly. We had a delightful meal at the Argyll Hotel down the road from us by the pier. The black raspberry & cherry ice cream from Iona the menu was simply some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had in the UK.

Happy National Caddie Day! And a special call out to the new breed of canine caddies who can find balls in the rough and even cart bags (see above), but most of all just provide the most encouraging, positive, non-judgmental course partner that you could ever ask for.

We have made a tradition of visiting Italy from the UK during the Easter weekend (which in Europe provides 2 extra public holidays – Good Friday and Easter Monday). Just enough time for the 2-3 hour flight to warm climes of Italy at the end of the British winter. Another bonus is that Italy has a fair number of golf courses and nearly every one we have come across is dog-friendly. This year’s expedition was to a longstanding destination on the lista dei desideria – Cinque Terre. Since many places are closed on the Easter holiday itself, we often play a round of golf to celebrate day and burn off our chocolate.

We found Alisei about an hour’s drive down the road. The course is a modest a “6 hole” in a fairly unassuming neighborhood, but it nonetheless exceeded our expectations. A friendly welcome included a well-provisioned little clubhouse with the cheeriest hello coming from their canine mascot, Theo (see photo) who frequents the course regularly.

Walk – As mentioned, the course is only 6 holes, but even if you play them 3 times over for the full 18 hole round, it is all completely flat and the holes are short (mostly under 100m except for a par 4 hole number 1 at 220 yards).

Water – There are two easily accessible water hazards by Hole 1 and by Hole 2, but you are never very far from the clubhouse where a water dish is always waiting with fresh water.

Wildlife – The area is in a fairly built-up area of the seaside and so we didn’t encounter any wildlife or even any meandering seagulls.

Winddown – The course had a small café and outdoor eating area, but we felt like some seaside seafood so we drove the short distance to the shore and ate at Restaurante Europa. Not only was the fritto misto di mare possibly the best fried seafood platter we have had (especially the very tender calamari with very light battering), but it was also dog-friendly evidenced by a number of canine companions in the tables beside us.

Today’s entry brings us a new canine correspondent, black lab Rory (supported by his persons Sue and Dean), who brings us tales of Norfolk courses. We’ve only made it our east there once (Southwold).

Rory is a very energetic 2½ year old black Labrador who loves exploring and sniffing. He likes to accompany us on the golf course and is very observant and keen to know what is happening on the other fairways. He was fairly easy to train to sit by the greens, stay out of bunkers and off the tee boxes. It took a little longer to convince him not to pull to chase after squirrels, rabbits or deer but he has finally accepted this is not allowed. Having easily been trained not to touch the golf ball he is a little reticent to help us hunt for the ball when we have lost it in the bushes!

On our way to Suffolk my owners Sue & Dean and their son, Matthew, played at Bishops Stortford golf club which is close to the M11. Being a very energetic black Labrador named Rory, who loves exploring and sniffing, I was pleased to accompany them. I was made very welcome by everyone I met (although being a little nervous of new people I did keep my distance) and since the large clubhouse was being renovated, we went to the temporary outside bar which suited me well where they had water for me and a few dog biscuits.

The course is parkland with trees so not a lot of sniffing for me although I did spot a few rabbits scurrying into the bushes around the 18th. The signature 8th hole was over a pond, and I heard a couple of our balls splash into it but sadly I wasn’t allowed in for a swim. The course was nicely undulating with narrow fairways which made for an interesting walk with quite a bit of ball searching as Matthew, who is fairly new to golf, hits the ball a long way but not always in the right direction!

A very pleasant round,unrushed with nice members who pointed us in the correct direction when we didn’t spot the signs.

The only downside was that it was very busy day going into Stansted with the planes flying low overhead. However, more importantly for me they did have my sausage at the halfway house.

We didn’t stop for a drink afterwards as we were heading on to stay at Tuddenham Mill a very nice dog friendly hotel, with lots of space for me to exercise and where I was allowed to accompany my owners to dinner and breakfast and they cooked me my own sausage for breakfast!

Dog Golf is blessed with another fine contribution from Bertie (and Steve) on a another Scottish gem:

Britain’s most northernly golf course is Whalsay’s claim to fame. So if you have gone as far as Lerwick why wouldn’t you travel further north, catch another ferry to the island of Whalsay and play it?

A quick email a couple of weeks before confirmed dogs on leads no problem (Scotland is different from England when it comes to dogs, people in Scotland look at you like your daft when you tell them dogs are not allowed on course in England).

Now this truly is a golf course on the edge of world, lost golf balls are on their way to Norway!! Set high on cliffs overlooking the North Sea gave this course a real end of the world feel. Parked up, paid £30 each online, there was one car on the car park and the clubhouse was open but no one in, all the facilities were open such as the changing rooms etc. A quick scan of the visitors book revealed golfers from around the world had travelled to take on Whalsay.

Whalsay has a wonderful clubhouse, the changing rooms were well equipped, and they had club covers for people to take, junior clubs etc and waiting for someone if they needed them. The function room was adorned with one of the best trophy cabinets I have seen, the silver really clitters in Whalsay!!

The first tee is around the back and we had a quick chat with an elderly chap who was doing a bit of maintenance, he had a dog and he didn’t blink once at Berties presence.

So off we set with quite a wind blowing off the North Sea. We had just finished the first hall when a man appeared on the horizon from the clubhouse, obviously he wanted to speak to us so waited for him. Turns out it the guy that built the course, just wanted to welcome us, answer any questions and offer some advice about some tricky holes. So Whalsay started as a 7-hole course and gradually built up.

Now there were plenty of sheep on the course, and in the bunkers, this isn’t a Jack Nicklaus designed course with USPGA approved greens but I’ve paid a lot more money than £30 and had a lot less fun on other courses. There were some challenging drives across open sea and quirky holes with hidden water obstacles. It’s a fair test.

What did Bertie think of Whalsay? Well he was good around the sheep and he helped himself to a smorgasbord of sheep droppings, I was on the unlucky end when he had a world champion poo which was just regurgitated sheep droppings. Thanks Bertie!!

If you are tempted by the remoteness of the Shetland islands I would say go for it, we had a great time, and the two 18 hole courses justify taking the clubs with you.

This week, we held the first ever Dog Golf Jamboree at my home club, Temple GC. Hall of Famer, Millie, was showing the ropes to her relatively new companion – Winnie (right) – as well as our part-time companion, Margo (right), on her very first round. Mille and Winnie came to explore the Buckinghamshire dog-friendly courses (with help from DogGolfUK, of course) and Margo and I hosted them. It was a lively round with the visitors setting an exceptional example for the novice, Margo. Special thanks to their golfers, Terry and Jenny, who help keep the website current with the cross-country golfing adventures.

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Great to see another golfing dog carry on Grace’s tradition of finding balls in the rough. German Pointer Bandit is featured on the yinzer_golf Instagram and his person recently posted a video of his ball-finding prowess on the golf course. They appear to play in Pittsburgh (by the hashtag on the post), but I didn’t get a response as to which course welcomes them.