Playing golf with your dog in tow?

[dennyjones]

5 hours ago, Bruce Lynn said:

We play with our dogs all the time.  You're right that relatively few courses welcome (More in Scotland, south England, most expensive clubs and least expensive clubs.  Fewer in Midlands, Ireland, Wales and middle tier clubs).  I've started a website to help people who want to golf with their dogs - www.doggolf.info.

Bruce (and Grace & Rusty)

Welcome to TST @Bruce Lynn.   Don't be a stranger.   Post often.

[Bruce Lynn]

Denny - Thanks.  My specialty area is dog golfing so I will try to help with any information people need on that topic.

Bruce (and Grace & Rusty)

[Patch]

I tried taking our dog with me one time. The course management folks were not happy about it. Didn't do it again. 

My thought was that if non golfers could walk their dogs along the cart path, during golfing hours, mine could walk with me while golfing. I lived on the golf course too, so why not, I thought. We limited our time on the golf course together to after hours frisbee chasing. 

I know some courses have "employee" dogs that run free on the course to keep geese, and other water fowl off their greens.

I once had my large Lab swallow a golf ball. Took him to the vet when I saw that he was acting in a stressful manner. X-rays showed the ball already in his intestines. The two choices were surgery to remove it, or let it keep moving. Since Jake was an older dog, surgery was not a good option. The vet monitored him for 36 hours until the ball finally came out. Talk about a relieved dog. 

I suppose, in the grand scheme of things,  it's not a good idea to take your dog golfing with you, unless of course the animal is of the working, service variety. 

[Bruce Lynn]

Patch - Actually, taking along your dog can be a great experience.  The dogs adore being with you and outside, you get to be with your best friend and take care of the daily walk.  And, properly trained, you will never lose a ball in the rough again (Grace is a excellent sniffer in the rough).

You do have to respect the protocol of the course (best to check in advance), and like all golfing, do your utmost not to disturb other golfers.

Bruce (and Grace & Rusty)

[scotth]

I don't know if the course I live on allows it, or they just look the other way.  We have soooo many deer and geese I think they silently encourage it by not saying anything to members and just wave or look the other way.

Have seen a beagle and a golden walk with their owners almost every round they play.  I think it would be great with my two dogs off leash on the course, but afraid my "boys" would end up half way to Canada chasing deer.

A few times this summer during the evening have walked a few holes with dogs on leash and the wife holds them while I hit.  Was fun, but don't think we could get an entire round in that way.

 

[The Hook Meister]

I can see the pros and cons of dogs on the course. I would be worried that if I hit a great shot the dog would go ,get the ball and bring it back to me thinking we are playing. Of course I probably would ot loser a lot pf balls.

[gmc1950s]

Bruce.......... Thanks for that link.  My Dog went everyday.......and I do mean everyday, she had great manners.........better than most, me included!!! Then one day after about 6 or 8 years she just wouldn't go anymore. When the annual dues time came I always threw in an extra 100 for her, it wasn't required, but was appreciated. If anyone complained ( I play by myself ) I just said hey, she's a dues paying member. At any rate I walk and waved everyone on by.  To be perfectly honest she was most likely more welcome than I was, as she had much more patience!! The new puppy doesn't have GC manners yet, but I gonna train her to find lost ball, so I can add to the 11 or 12,  5 gallon full buckets that I already have. You can never have too many. To anyone interested there's about 325 or so in a 5 gallon bucket. Instruction for washing...........attach synthetic grass to your cement mixer blades, dump in a bucket. In 15 min your done.

[Golfer gal]

On 8/11/2017 at 7:08 AM, Patch said:

I once had my large Lab swallow a golf ball. Took him to the vet when I saw that he was acting in a stressful manner. X-rays showed the ball already in his intestines. The two choices were surgery to remove it, or let it keep moving. Since Jake was an older dog, surgery was not a good option. The vet monitored him for 36 hours until the ball finally came out. Talk about a relieved dog.

I had a friend with a Lab who lived on a golf course.  One day she saw her dog swallow a golf ball, and later in the day he acted ill, so she took him to the vet... turned out, the silly dog had like 20 golf balls in him!  I can't remember but I think surgery, and he was fine.

On our course today, (I've never seen or imagined a dog coming along for golf), the group two behind us had a medium sized dog with them, and man, he was having SUCH a great time! No barking, or chasing squirrels, and when they were putting he just sat near the green! 

[NM Golf]

No one loves their dogs more than I do (I have 3 of them) BUT I will never take one to play golf with me. It would be just one more thing to worry about while playing. I have plenty of time to take them on a proper walk once I get home. The growing need by people to take their dogs everywhere with them it getting a bit out of control IMHO. There was a lady with her little dog in her shopping cart at the grocery store last night. 

[jkelley9]

I would love to take my dog with me. I'm sure it'd take some getting used to, but I bet it could be done. I'm sure she'd love it. I don't  have a lot of time to take her on walks much anymore. We have a fenced in backyard so usually every day I'll throw the ball (not a golf ball) with her in the yard for several minutes so she gets some good exercise. Lately it's so dark when I get home I just use a laser pointer and she chases that thing like crazy; probably runs a mile every 2 minutes!

I wouldn't let mine roam free. I'd probably just toe her on my push cart with a good leash :)  

I'll probably ask my club sometime soon if they'd allow it. They probably won't... as I've never seen someone do this. But worth a shot! 

[Gilberg]

I am a dog man and I am sure everyone on here is to.  I used to play alone a lot and I went to play last weekend and I saw my dog at the course and I thought, what the hell, I will let him tag along.  He did good and it was fun having somebody there, nothing is worse then hitting a hole in one and not having anybody there to see it trinkle into the whole.

Anybody else ever take a dog with them while they golf?  Please don't reply if you don't or take another species of pet.

before any body gets PC on me, NO i don't let my dog run around on the course and disrespect other players or the game.  the only reason he was there was because he likes to dig around on the cemetary that runs along side the golf course.

[NM Golf]

Check out this THREAD on this exact same topic.

[Fourputt]

On 1/23/2018 at 9:09 AM, NM Golf said:

No one loves their dogs more than I do (I have 3 of them) BUT I will never take one to play golf with me. It would be just one more thing to worry about while playing. I have plenty of time to take them on a proper walk once I get home. The growing need by people to take their dogs everywhere with them it getting a bit out of control IMHO. There was a lady with her little dog in her shopping cart at the grocery store last night. 

Yes!  Dogs don't belong on the golf course, and what they leave behind certainly doesn't.  My dog gets all the exercise and togetherness he wants off the course.  Thankfully, the courses I play regularly prohibit dogs on the course.   We do have resident coyotes though, but they don't bother anything.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Fourputt

[Fourputt]

11 hours ago, Gilberg said:

I am a dog man and I am sure everyone on here is to.  I used to play alone a lot and I went to play last weekend and I saw my dog at the course and I thought, what the hell, I will let him tag along.  He did good and it was fun having somebody there, nothing is worse then hitting a hole in one and not having anybody there to see it trinkle into the whole.

Anybody else ever take a dog with them while they golf?  Please don't reply if you don't or take another species of pet.

before any body gets PC on me, NO i don't let my dog run around on the course and disrespect other players or the game.  the only reason he was there was because he likes to dig around on the cemetary that runs along side the golf course.

I'll be blunt... I don't understand letting your dog run free, digging randomly.  Everywhere I've ever lived it's been illegal to have a dog unrestrained, even in the town of 400 where I'm living now. 

My dog has the run of the back yard, and occasionally comes out to the front with me when I have a small chore to attend too, but only if I can keep an eye on him.  He doesn't run off unless he sees a rabbit or a cat, and if I catch him he will stop even then.  But he's fast, runs down rabbits from behind (he's killed 6 that I know if in the 3 years since we got him as a puppy from the shelter), so it only takes a couple of seconds before he's out of sight if I don't pay attention.  I don't worry about him running away, but I know that some neighbors will complain if they see him running free.

[NM Golf]

13 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

We do have resident coyotes though, but they don't bother anything.  

We have a whole family of coyotes, it's a bit eerie opening up the golf course in the mornings. It's pitch black outside and you can hear them yipping and calling to each other. I know they are scared to death of humans and won't bother anyone but the sounds they make are creepy.

[cooke119]

I have never seen a dog on a golf course here on Long Island, New York. Not sure it is a good idea, I would be worried about the dog being hit by a golf ball and getting hurt, (or worse). 

[iacas]

28 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

Yes!  Dogs don't belong on the golf course, and what they leave behind certainly doesn't.

The superintendent at a few of the courses at which I've played have dogs. Also, it's pretty common, too, in Scotland and such to have your dog accompany you on a round.

Heck, the Old Course is a huge dog walking park on Sundays (and technically every day of the year). When I was there I saw countless dogs roaming the Old Course, with their owners sometimes 50+ yards away. I was glad to see it, too.

[boogielicious]

14 minutes ago, cooke119 said:

I have never seen a dog on a golf course here on Long Island, New York. Not sure it is a good idea, I would be worried about the dog being hit by a golf ball and getting hurt, (or worse). 

I've only seen one and it was the course owners dog that was used occasionally to chase geese away. He was always with a ranger and they made sure he was only out when it was safe.