NZ golf club ends 50-year tradition of sheep groundskeepers

Rising costs and cleanliness concerns prompt to phase out sheep maintenance with aim to modernise club’s fairways

The Tahuna Golf Club in New Zealand is ending a tradition that has lasted over half a century by discontinuing its use of sheep to maintain its fairways.

Located around 120 kilometres south of Auckland in the Waikato region, the club made the decision after facing a cost of NZ$25,000 (approximately £12,300) to replace 125 ewes this year.

Frank Hopper, a life member of the club, noted that another factor was the need to attract younger members, who may not appreciate navigating sheep droppings while preparing their shots.

"There's been a growing preference for a fully groomed course instead of one shared with sheep," Hopper told the New Zealand Herald. He added, "A groomed course is cleaner, with no animal waste, making it easier to maintain equipment and shoes after a game."

While New Zealand is renowned for its 25 million sheep — far exceeding its human population of about five million — Tahuna is not alone in its innovative use of sheep for golf course upkeep.

Other clubs have taken similar approaches. Australia's Eastern Sward Golf Club near Melbourne introduced sheep, alpacas, ponies, and goats in 2019 to reduce reliance on artificial chemicals in grass management. Germany’s Green Eagle Golf Course, near Hamburg, which hosts the European Open on the DP World Tour, also employs sheep to manage its rough.

The tradition of using sheep to maintain golf courses originates from a time when golf clubs in rural areas sought cost-effective ways to keep their grounds in good condition.

Sheep, which are prevalent in agricultural regions like New Zealand and parts of Europe, provided a natural and economical alternative to mechanical mowers.

However, changing expectations from players, coupled with increasing costs and modern course standards, have led some clubs to abandon this practice in favour of more conventional groundskeeping methods.