Rincon considers buying border collie to chase geese from golf course (Sept 2)

September 2, 2015 – Rincon City Council members are considering acquiring a border collie that would be trained to chase geese from the Lost Plantation golf course.

“I believe the council is leaning toward a trained dog that would keep them away,” City Manager Wesley Corbitt said Monday. “The dog does not catch them, but keeps them from landing and staying around.”

An abundance of geese at the golf course has prompted complaints from golfers and from people who live nearby.

City Planner LaMeisha Kelly said each bird eats up to 5 square feet of grass every day and leaves up to two pounds of waste each day.

Seth Zeigler, superintendent of the golf course, said from 10 to 70 geese will congregate around the 17th and 18th holes.

“Not only is it a health hazard and very unsightly, it makes a couple of holes unplayable at times,” Zeigler said.

Zeigler said possible solutions include hiring someone to catch and relocate the birds or buying a dog that’s trained to shoo the birds.

Zeigler said since a border collie has the look of a fox, the geese would see him as a predator, not just a dog.

He said the golf course has gotten something of a break recently because the geese have been attracted to some new grass installed recently at Savannah Christian Church.

He said they also seem to like the mixture of bugs and grass by the Post Office.

Sean Moyer, facilities manager for Savannah Christian Church, said the geese come every winter and their droppings can be something of a nuisance on sidewalks. He said they try to keep people from feeding them and making it worse. “It’s just one of those things,” he said.

George “Doc” Pahls, who lives near the golf course, said the birds are “kinda cute” when they’re small, but they can become a nuisance for golfers. He spoke about the golf course and the birds at a recent city council meeting.