Walking the Dog on the Course

[Dando]

Most Saturdays I take my dog to a golf course early in the morning and I let him off his lead. If there’s any golfers about I will put him on his lead as he loves a fuss. Once we’re out of range I’ll let him off and he’s a good a gold chasing his golf ball

 

[stefanovic]

Generally I play only P&P courses that let me on for a tenner or thereabouts.
The big problem are dog walkers. Who is responsible other than me if I hit the walker or the dog? Me, I guess.
Owners are adamant that they have every right to walk dogs. Typical comment is "Don't you know this is a public footpath" when they are nowhere near the line of it. When I point out the danger of being hit they say "I'm not stupid." One lady whose dog prevented me from playing a shot by barking directly in front stated "this is NOT a golf course". Then I have dogs running off with my ball.
Some of the extra hazards if you play golf on the cheap and can't afford private membership.

 

[duncan mackie]

There are new options available to a committee, it can also be declared as GUR

See available local rule F-12

I'm well aware of that thank you - you stated that going forward there would have to be a LR in place to provide for dung as a LI.

I clarified for those who might otherwise have been mis-led.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As long as the dog stays still when players are hitting their shot I have no issues with it (and owners take responsibility for any "deposits"). I have played with James Hunt and he had two alsatian dogs and they wouldn't move a hair until he told them too and were as good of gold on the course. Mind you James Hunt in a bad mood on a course I was scared to move too

 

[Tommo21]

At Dunbar golf club members are allowed to take their dogs round as long as they're on a lead. Never been an issue as far as I'm aware.

 

[jim8flog]

I'm well aware of that thank you - you stated that going forward there would have to be a LR in place to provide for dung as a LI.

I clarified for those who might otherwise have been mis-led.

Yes thanks. It was a bit of a hurried reply to thread, just had it on my mind as one of the available LRs we need to discuss at our committee meeting.

 

[IanM]

We take the dog on the course when we play on hols where the club allow it. He is always on the lead or sits on the buggy... never been a problem.

Wouldn’t do it in a comp but that’s different

 

[TerryA]

The course I play allows dogs on leads. I attach mine to the trolley and she comes round with me. She had her first round at 6 months and is now nearly 3. When we go on holiday I ring all the clubs in the area to see which ones allow dogs. If you know of any clubs that do please let me know and I’ll add them to my list.

 

[Slab]

I don't see dog walkers, I see walking dogs (strays)

This island has more than a couple and some have a bit of golf course as part of their territories. Stood at address on 15th tee yesterday only to catch a sight in peripheral vision of a dog walking up (& not in the HNSP either!) and despite a reset I pulled the shot 20ft right of the flag

Things I've learned:
A 4-ball of dogs will always expect to be let through and won't stop to ask
They appreciate a drink of water on hot days
They have zero 'natural interest' in chasing or finding golf balls, so this ball retrieval thing must be something owners ingrain into pets (I've had more golf balls lifted by monkeys than I have by dogs)
They don't crap on fairways or in bunkers or dig up the sand

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Got no problem with golfers taking their dogs on the course, properly trained, it’s fine.

I do have an issue with dog walkers who stray from the public footpaths that cross the course.
We had an incident on our 12th a couple of weeks ago, 2 ladies with dogs ambling down the right side of the fairway, and when I say ambling, it was proper dawdling.

We had to wait, they were blissfully unaware of 3 blokes looking daggers at them until they were 50 yards away ,they saw us and stopped and we had to tell them we couldn’t play until they were behind us.
then they got a wiggle on.

Nowhere near a footpath.
Not the dogs fault

 

[patricks148]

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 opened up a huge can of worms in all sorts of areas as far as public access is concerned. The perception is that there is general freedom to ram virtually anywhere in scotland now. That is not actually the case and the Act is not the easiest to read and comprehend properly.

Suffice to say, if the dog walker was crossing the course, then he was within his rights. If he was generally wandering around the course, then, he was not.

I'd not like to be in the situation, but, if the walker was struck with a ball, then I do think the onus would be on the golfer I'm afraid.

I think sporting venues are exempt from certain points of The ODAC, but most people who walk across ours think they have some divine right to go where ever they like. We have two public footpaths that give access to the beach, We are currently looking at restricting some of the other routes onto the course, which will be needed especially now the course redesign is going ahead.

 

[drdel]

Unfortunately the onus is 100% on the golfer even if it's private land and the dog walker is technically trespassing. It's the 1 reason I have golf insurance.

1 of the major reasons I left my old club and joined my current 1 at the start of this month was that having 3 public footpaths/bridleways crossing my old club's course, plus having 2 more run along the perimeter ,ade for a lot of idiots being where they shouldn't be.

We regularly saw kids in the summer holidays appear off the footpaths and brazenly start fishing the lake (carp stocked) on the 11th which to me is bang on slightly wayward drive distance and the tee shot is blind.

That and the amount of times you'd get to the top of your backswing and some stupid **** dog walker shouts at there mutt running off the leash just about pushed me over the edge. The incredulous looks and the mouthfuls of abuse you'd receive off've 50+ year old women when you politely ask them to think before they shout was unbelievable! The 1 time I bit back and told 1 what for she promptly phoned the club up and complained leading to me getting a warning.

Thankfully where I play now has no such issues and god forbid a dog walker coming down the 1 footpath that bounds the course does decide to annoy you, there is a lake that is at least 30 feet deep to drown them and their dog in very close to hand

Unfortunately, as you say, a golfer is responsible for his/her ball and any damage or injury resulting from you hitting it. You are expected to check that the area into which you are hitting is clear. You would need to prove the walker was deliberately acting negligently which could be very hard to establish.

 

[stefanovic]

I have played with James Hunt and he had two Alsatian dogs and they wouldn't move a hair until he told them too and were as good of gold on the course.

Seem to remember when Hunt played in the pro-celebrity on BBC in the 1980's he had his Alsatian and Peter Allis made some comment like it had better behave. But those were the days when top players would fly over from the US to compete for a bit of cut glass, the Marley Trophy.
What I find today is that from early evening the dog walkers come out to swarm all over the course, and there are an ever increasing number. It's definitely an extra hazard. On one course (Bulwell Forest) I paid for a round and the assistant told me to aim for them.