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Jason Elwell

Goats!
« on: September 20, 2010, 02:49:36 PM »
So I was just browsing the web, trying to pass the time at lunch, when I stumbled upon the maintenance blog for Pasatiempo. There is a recent blog post stating that on Sept. 20th (today) they are introducing a team of 175 goats to clear out the overgrowth in the back nine barancas. They will even have Great Pyrenees dogs there to help guard them. How awesome is that?!? So, has anyone seen any goats yet? Here's the link to the blog:

http://pasatiempogolfclubmaintenance.blogspot.com/search/label/Goats
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Morgan Clawson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2010, 04:32:19 PM »
What a great idea!

It would be fun to see some photos of the goats in action.
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Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2010, 04:37:38 PM »
There are companies that have been around for awhile that rent goats for brush clearing. Many find it preferable to excessive herbicides.
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2010, 04:48:53 PM »
As Garland B. has mentioned, you can rent a herd of goats to clear an area of underbrush. "Rent a Goat" services are especially popular in the San Francisco Bay Area, where there are a good number of steeply sloped hillsides that would be difficult to clear mechanically. 
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Eric Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2010, 05:09:50 PM »
:)
« Last Edit: September 21, 2010, 05:47:17 AM by Eric Smith »
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David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2010, 05:12:46 PM »
« Last Edit: September 20, 2010, 05:16:01 PM by David_Tepper »
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PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2010, 08:44:34 AM »
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H.P.S.

JC Jones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2010, 09:08:39 AM »
Quote from: David_Tepper on September 20, 2010, 04:48:53 PM

"Rent a Goat" services are especially popular in the San Francisco Bay Area


Surprise of the century.
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I get it, you are mad at the world because you are an adult caddie and few people take you seriously.

Excellent spellers usually lack any vision or common sense.

I know plenty of courses that are in the red, and they are killing it.

Jason Elwell

Re: Goats!
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2010, 10:43:08 AM »
I had no idea this was a popular solution to overgrowth out there. Anyway, there is a chance I'll be out that way at the end of October, and I definitely plan on playing Pasa while I'm there. Hopefully I can get some good pictures of the post-goat barancas.
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Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2010, 01:06:06 PM »
The goats of Lahinch



« Last Edit: September 21, 2010, 01:11:48 PM by Bill Brightly »
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Tony Weiler

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2010, 06:05:59 PM »
Hawktree used 4-6 goats all summer for controlling leafy spurge.  They were quite popular, the goats that is, not the spurge!  Not sure how successful it was or whether they will be used again. 
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Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2010, 11:53:27 PM »
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Roast leafy spurge fed goat. My favorite!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2010, 01:28:45 AM »
Do these goats get milked? Seriously, some great cheeses from goats milk. 
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No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Mark_F

Re: Goats!
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2010, 02:13:21 AM »
Quote from: RJ_Daley on September 22, 2010, 01:28:45 AM
Do these goats get milked? Seriously, some great cheeses from goats milk. 

That all depends on what they are being fed, RJ.

A steeply sloped hillside in SF is likely to contain discarded frangers, Jim Beam cans, and a leftover blotter or two of Lysergic acid diethylamide. 

That wouldn't make very nice cheese at all.
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Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2010, 04:31:41 AM »
Actually Mark, it depends on if they are female.  ;D

Goats are used to clear Cherry Creek in Denver. It's not inexpensive, with transport, being the biggest cost.

It takes a lot of goats to this job. Goats, by nature, are browsers. So, they only nibble a little bit here and a little bit there. The dogs are here to contain them so they will all nibble in the same place, until it's time to move on.
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2010, 10:46:26 AM »
Goats are amazing.  

In Morocco, they climb trees:


In Seattle they eat blackberry bushes:


And my personal favorite - Tennessee fainting goats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg

Mike
« Last Edit: September 22, 2010, 11:01:36 AM by Michael_Hendren »
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Jim Hoak

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2010, 01:14:00 PM »
The other advantage of the goats of Lahinch is that they forecast the weather by where and they go and how they bunch up.
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Tom Yost

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2010, 01:32:49 PM »
Quote from: Mark Ferguson on September 22, 2010, 02:13:21 AM

That all depends on what they are being fed, RJ.

A steeply sloped hillside in SF is likely to contain discarded frangers, Jim Beam cans, and a leftover blotter or two of Lysergic acid diethylamide. 

That wouldn't make very nice cheese at all.


Sez who?
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Peter_Herreid

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #18 on: October 05, 2010, 12:11:04 PM »
I had the typical joyous time playing Pasatiempo yesterday morning.  As an aside the holes were cut in some of the most imaginative places I can recollect on most of the holes.  Even if one was being charitable, only 4 (max)  locations were in the "generous" areas of the greens.  There were at least 6 that were as far back left as possible, with a couple being less than 10-11 feet from the edges.  Green speeds were appropriate however....For those who remember back to one of my early posts on GCA, there seem to be significantly fewer rakes around the bunkers!!!

One thing that was relatively new to me, at least, since my last visit in early June 2008 was the emphasis on clearing out some of the "sandy" areas in front of many teeing grounds--I don't know if the intent is to groom them that way long-term (which I think would be cool), or to let them grow back in with whatever comes naturally (which would be OK too)..Didn't take pictures, though..

Anyway, the goats have now been chomping away on #18 for 4 days, and the early returns and reviews from the staff are favorable.  Rob C can probably give us more details, but the plan (for now at least) is to have them on site for 6-7 weeks, moving them around the barrancas/canyons on the back nine and see how things look...

Looking from the end of the bridge off 10 tee over across to 17 green..


Looking from edge of 18 green back to tee..


hanging on by the front of 18 front tee..


bottom of the barranca..


the bottom of the barranca closest to the 18th green


FWIW, the two yellow labs parked by the top edge of the fence to the left of the 18th green were sleeping away and didn't seem to have much to worry about..Also signs about that the fence is electrified, but didn't test that theory!
« Last Edit: October 05, 2010, 12:12:36 PM by Peter_Herreid »
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Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2010, 01:52:21 PM »


Looks like some of them are lying down on the job ... slackers ...
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"... and I liked the guy ..."

Kevin_Reilly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2010, 02:03:13 PM »
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Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #21 on: October 05, 2010, 08:47:22 PM »
Quote from: Mike Benham on October 05, 2010, 01:52:21 PM


Looks like some of them are lying down on the job ... slackers ...

Maybe a post-prandial nap?   I love 'em myself!
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Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Goats!
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2010, 08:48:21 AM »
Man, are there some holes at Stonehouse that could use goats...I hate overgrown underbrush.
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rchesnut

Re: Goats!
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2010, 12:32:43 AM »
Goats are indeed doing a very good job, great pics.  On the lying down part, unfortunately, we had to use union goats...they get 15 min break every 4 hours and, since their meal break is their work, they get a one hour nap instead.  Not to mention overtime for being on site 24/7.  Seriously, goats eat in 2 hour cycles...they go out and eat, then rest/digest/chew, then one of them gets up and the others follow as they go back to work.  Fun to watch, they're a bit of a tourist attraction at the moment...some of them get up on their hind legs to reach pull down branches and eat leaves. 

On the areas in front of some tees, we're reintroducing native grasses to "out of play" areas to conserve water...it takes several years to grow the grasses the way we want -- we want people to be able to find balls and play out of the stuff, so it can't be too thick.  So over the next several years, you'll start to see more of a 4 season course, with native grasses growing in the winter with the rain and browning out in the summer.   Big thanks to Jim Urbina who worked with us on the grassing plan and new irrigation system that was just installed this year. 
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