Nov 30, (V7N) - The Tahuna Golf Club in New Zealand has decided to end a long-standing tradition of using sheep to maintain its fairways after more than 50 years. The decision, driven by the high cost of replacing 125 ewes at NZ$25,000 ($14,787.50), marks the end of an era for the club, located 120 kilometers south of Auckland in the Waikato region.

Life member Frank Hopper explained that the club aimed to attract younger members who might prefer a "fully-groomed course" without the inconvenience of sheep dung on the fairways. The move will make the course easier to maintain and cleaner for players, especially when it comes to avoiding dirt and debris on shoes and gear.

While the tradition is ending at Tahuna, the use of sheep as natural lawnmowers is still seen at other golf courses around the world. For example, Australia's Eastern Sward Golf Club introduced a variety of animals, including sheep, alpacas, ponies, and goats, in 2019 as part of an environmentally friendly effort to reduce the use of artificial chemicals for grass management. Similarly, the Green Eagle Golf Course in Winsen, Germany, home to the European Open, also utilizes sheep to manage the rough.

Despite the shift at Tahuna, these examples show that sheep and other animals still play a role in golf course maintenance in some parts of the world.

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