[PHOTOS: From Clifford A. Sobel for Axios]
Llama caddies? Llama caddies! No need to mention anything else. Let’s just get right into it.
Sherwood Forest Golf Club in Brevard, North Carolina, has been pushing this, ahem, new type of caddie for some time now, but according to Axios, “tourism and recreational activities involving llamas have been on an upswing”, and these camelid loopers are as popular as it gets. There are about 30 llamas at the course that have been trained to carry your bags. It’s just as adorable as you might expect.
The caddies don’t need any cash either. They’re fine with some water and “a handful of tasty greens”.
Historically, llamas have been used to carry heavy things and can typically lug anything between 30 to 55 kilograms. They’re from the Andes Mountain regions of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile and are known as “easy walkers”, so as to not destroy the grass they tread on, according to the Rutgers 4-H Animal Science Resource Blog.
I just read an Article about people using Llamas as golf Caddies. As someone who has Played Golf since High School, I would love to use a Llama as a Caddy. pic.twitter.com/rrZWFs86eH
— Jason (Mo, Giz Mo fella) (@GizmosSpace) June 24, 2024
Llamas as caddies have been around since the early 1990s when Talamore Golf Resort in Southern Pines used the idea to generate publicity at the newly opened Rees Jones-designed course. It was a hit and is now being replicated by Mark English, a golfer and owner of a nearby llama farm, who threw the idea out to Sherwood club pro Brian Lautenschlager.
This ‘stampede’ of kangaroos might be the most impressive display of wildlife on a golf course ever
Golfers are assigned their own llama, along with an expert to escort each foursome. Sorry to all of the human caddies out there, but this might be the future of golf. It may be time to head back to university for all the loopers out there to pick up an animal science degree. The game is constantly moving. You don’t want to fall behind.
