The Grazing Goats of Presidio Golf Course

On Tuesday afternoon, a truck filled with Boer goats arrived at the Presidio Golf Course for a two-week eating tour. They had been hired through a local company called Coastal Grazing, and Blayne Morris above was one of the goatherders helping to unload the animals.



According to their website:

"Goat grazing is a cost effective, ecologically sound way to clear land and promote growth of native grasses and beneficial plants, particularly for large acreages and difficult terrain. It has been proven to efficiently handle areas that are inaccessible or difficult to manage with mowers, areas where burns are inadvisable, and sensitive areas where the application of herbicides is not appropriate. Our goats restore plant species that better clean the air, reduce water pollution, prevent the spread of fires, eliminate mower emissions, and fertilize while they graze!"

Plus, they are cute as can be, and there are plans to keep a few near the clubhouse for a kiddie petting area while their compatriots chomp away.



According to a Presidio Trust handout, "The 250-300 Boer goats begin their culinary odyssey in an overgrown thicket behind the driving range. The hungry herd's two-week tour of duty will be spent chomping through weeds and transforming them into natural fertilizer, allowing native grasses to flourish. Once the unwanted vegetation has been eaten back, not only can errant golf balls be retrieved, but serpentine soil will be revealed. The goats' next stop will be a wetland area near the fourth hole now thick with thistle and hemlock."



On Tuesday, the goats looked overjoyed to be let out of their carriers and onto thick, green grass before their weed munching began in earnest.



The Presidio Trust also mentions that "the project is part of a broader effort to upgrade the course using sustainable means whenever possible. Improvements are planned for every hole and bunker on the course, including the creation of so-called 'fuzzy bunkers' using native plants and grasses. The result will be a course that is both more attractive and more challenging, with a less manicured and wilder look evocative of traditional Scottish links courses."



That is all wonderful news, except for bad golfers like myself. The course is challenging and difficult enough without having to hack out of "native plants and grasses" around the bunkers.