The more gentile alternative to Dances with Wolves.
If there’s around 5m golfers in the UK1, and 34%2 of households (c10 million) own dogs, then quick maths would suggest there could be 1.7m or so golfers that own a dog. Those dogs will want walking, and those owners might rather play golf. So what better way to ‘kills two birds with one stone’ than to take your four-legged friend to the golf course?! Except, there’s an issue… according to www.doggolf.info (somewhat historic, though one wonders if the landscape has changed much since), only 15% of UK courses (and they asked all 2,663 at the time) permit dogs. What’s worse, is that in some counties, such as South Wales, Northern Ireland and Cheshire, dogs were found to be even less welcome, with only 4 of Cheshire’s almost 100 courses found to welcome man’s best friend.
So, in the spirit of investigative journalism, we decided to road test one of those 4 listed, Mellor & Townscliffe. Having double-checked the policy with club pro Gary, and gained reassurance that awkward conversations with members were unlikely, Flossy and I set off, buoyed by an encounter en-route to the first tee, who suggested our multitasking to be ‘ingenious’.
Sure enough, I was enjoying the company on what would otherwise have been a solo round, and Flossy was lapping up what must have seemed like the longest – and strangest – walkies! It really did feel like the perfect crime, especially when getting the husky-esque effect, with the trolley getting a little help normally only afforded to those who’ve shelled out a grand on a PowaKaddy!
Now, I’d be lying if I said it was all plain sailing. There was much more forethought involved in the planning (water, bowl, treats etc.), the free run trial was short-lived, and whilst she only pulled over the trolley once, potential injuries cannot be ruled out. It did also require significant stamina, and strength, and ideally a better brake than my trolley possessed… particularly on a hilly course, one imagines there’s a decent potential for a scene more suited to Mr Bean!
Why is M&T so forward-thinking when it comes to dogs? Well, seemingly one of their committee at the time was a regular at St Andrews, and noticed that half the members were accompanies by their dogs, so the view was, if it’s good enough for St Andrews…
Indeed, there seems no correlation between dog policy and course quality. In fact, other top courses such as Wentworth, Sunningdale, Turnberry and Muirfield all reportedly welcome dogs.
Clearly, there are obvious reasons why clubs are reticent to relax rules, and no doubt it requires a certain tolerance, when Fido picks up the captain’s Titleist as it rolls towards the cup. However, with clubs vying for greater revenues, if dogs are restricted to leads and conscientious owners, is it time for clubs that don’t allow dogs to rethink their stance? All we know, is that nothing beats having the golfing dogs smiling down on you!
What are your thoughts on golfing with dogs? Got a great course for us to visit, or a story to share? Contact us here.
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