Ben, As someone who spent most of his adult life writing about wildlife biology, hunting and fishing, I assure you there aren't any wild animals that are unfrugal with their energy budgets. And while I never thought much about how it relates to hunting, golf is after all a sport, not a game.
Like other sports, hunting, shooting, archery, running, fishing, et. al, it does call on the participants to be aware of nature and the natural world to succeed. And unlike games, there's no defense to be played.
I think that most links courses in big dunes by necessity follow the path of least resistance, like the deer trails Coore mentioned.
The other thing about hunting that applies is the ability to either read and understand the wind, or find ways to avoid it. Birds that live on the prairie will inevitably find a quiet spot on a hill, just under the crest on the lee side. They can hear anything coming toward them with the wind, and they can see down the hill where the wind prevents sound getting to them.
Figuring out how to take advantage of that sometimes means you get a meal.