This article is eligible for the
Gordon Witteveen Award
fe ature ◗ Dan mcCAFFREY
designation for the author.
Paw-sitively Amazing
Beach Grove’s dog Toby shines on and off the course ◗ Beach Grove Golf & Country Club is an all-season, private, member-owned club. Beach Grove was built in 1921 and designed by Stanley Thompson. It is nestled in the heart of the Great Lakes along the banks of Lake St. Clair in Tecumseh, Ontario, just east of Windsor, Ontario. The tree-lined fairways offer golfers a challenging game while they enjoy the peace and serenity of the neighboring area. Beach Grove provides a clubhouse rich with history where members enjoy dining and socializing with one another in a warm and comfortable atmosphere. There is a harbor for boating, a large pool for swimming and a rink for curling in the winter months. Beach Grove enjoys a long, proud history of serving families in Windsor and Essex County. I started my position as greens superintendent at Beach Grove in the fall of 2008. Having been in the industry for 20 years prior to this position (since the age of 17) and being a superintendent for 10 of those years, I had my experiences with dealing with geese, but never had a dog to help with the situation. When I came to Beach Grove, I knew geese were a problem, especially with our location near Lake St. Clair. The club had purchased a border collie earlier in 2008. His name was Tweed. He was approximately one-year-old and already trained to chase geese. The cost was not cheap; $5,000. However, when you consider the benefit and the work one of these dogs can accomplish for you, it really is not that much to pay. That first winter, an employee from the pro shop offered to take care of Tweed during the winter months on his farm. Unfortunately, Tweed was hit by a car while walking near a road on the farm. This was devastating news for us. We decided to purchase another border collie, again fully trained, for $5,000. His name was Oliver. Oliver performed very well during the 2009 season, but unfortunately came down with a genetic disorder that causes blindness. We were very fortunate to have a couple from the Newmarket area, who take care of blind dogs, adopt Oliver. He was welcomed into
Toby gets set to go to work at Beach Grove like he has for more than two years. credit: Dan McCaffrey
their loving home. At the time, we felt unlucky with what had happened with our two border collies, but there was still a great need for a dog on the property to take care of an ongoing geese situation. Club general manager Gary Geoffrey decided we would go in a different direction in finding our new dog. He contacted our local Humane Society in Windsor and asked them to contact us if they ever come across a border collie. Sure enough, we received a call a couple months later that they did indeed have one. He was a three-month-old border collie named Toby. This turned out to be a great situation. Toby needed a home and we needed him. We adopted him in the beginning of the year 2011. The total cost was under $200, which included neutering and microchipping Toby. Because he was so young when we adopted Toby, it turned out to be excellent. Being at that young age allowed for me and my Assistant, Curtis Bondy, to spend a lot of time with him learning the ins and outs of the 127-acre property, which he learned very quickly. Anybody who deals with a geese problem on a golf course knows first-hand that they create problems. They affect turf density and lie of the ball (which obviously affects playability). They also leave behind a mess. One goose can eat up to four pounds of grass per day and creates
approximately three pounds of fecal matter daily. If you have 100 geese on the golf course, you’re going to have a big problem. Toby has become so efficient, geese don’t bother landing on the course. The golf course is now, essentially, goose free. He’s so effective for us. Just his presence does the job. He knows the property like nobody else. Toby’s days are busy. When staff arrive at 5 am, he is out and about on the golf course. He has become very close with all the greens department staff. One of our staff, Basil Palombo, who cuts greens for us, has become really attached to Toby. Basil is an animal lover at heart and has taken full charge in any extra care that Toby needs such as trips to the veterinarian for checkups and grooming. Toby has become very popular among members, especially the ladies. They bring him treats during ladies league play on Tuesday and Thursdays. Toby has become immensely popular in the Tecumseh (St. Clair Beach) area. I have even run into members at the local grocery store and they ask, “How is Toby?” and “The relationship is amazing.” He truly is a family member here at Beach Grove Golf & Country Club. GM Dan McCaffrey is the Golf Course Superintendent at Beach Grove Golf & Country Club. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | greenMaster 29