Arizona golfers were left furious after huge pig-like javelinas ripped up the prestigious Seven Canyons Golf Club, leaving massive divots across the fairway.
A viral video shows the golf course in Sedona, Arizona, being dug up by these wild pig-like creatures as they search for food, prompting concerns among social media users about the extent of the damage.
The video, posted by Em Casey, an assistant superintendent at Seven Canyons Golf Club, has gathered 29million views on X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘What should be one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country is being destroyed by herds of javelina,’ Casey said.
Casey told Golf Monthly that the groundkeepers are applying chili oil to certain areas of the course to deter javelinas, although the deterrent doesn’t appear to be working.
A viral video shows the golf course in Sedona, Arizona, being dug up by these wild pig-like creatures as they search for food
The groundkeepers are applying chili oil to certain areas of the course to deter these animals
Javelina is a native to the southwestern region of the United States, as well as various parts of Central and South America
‘These javelinas have a knack for digging things up,’ said general manager Dave Bisbee in an interview with 12NEWS.
‘They’re southwest animals, they don’t like Southwest spiciness on their, on their turf salad,’ Bisbee said.
The Javelina, that are indigenous to the southwestern region of the United States and various parts of Central and South America, are notorious for wreaking havoc as they roam through earthy patches.
The animals are protected in Arizona and culling the creatures or setting traps are not an option for Casey and other staff.
Seven Canyons Golf Club have been dealing with the perpetrators for several weeks but have managed to keep the course open.
Ground teams spent 150 to 300 hours per week to clean and repair damages caused by the beast to maintain the pristine golf course.
Bisbee said the animals have been to the golf course before and appear to be drawn to the area during dry and hot summers in Sedona.
Seven Canyons Golf Club has been dealing with the perpetrators for several weeks and has managed to keep the course open
Javelinas are notorious for wreaking havoc as they roam through earthy patches
Come along with me on my carnage (I mean course) check this morning. What should be one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country is being destroyed by herds of javelina. If anyone has a contact in AZ state govt that can help us find a solution please pass it along. pic.twitter.com/XftywHtVCf
— Em Casey (@emcaseyturf) October 22, 2023
On today’s episode of the #JavelinaDiaries “How do you repair the damage?” Agronomy team assemble! The crew has gotten really good at solving the fairway jigsaw puzzles the javelina create for us every night🧩 Greenside up! pic.twitter.com/mhnwF9m6jU
— Em Casey (@emcaseyturf) October 26, 2023
‘In all of my time up here, we’ve had probably seven cycles where the weather has created this whole phenomenon,’ Bisbee said.
The prestigious course stands on 200 acres but is surrounded by 100,000 acres of the Coconino National Forest.
Javelinas were apparently searching for food at golf courses said Russ McSpadden with the Center for Biological Diversity.
‘They also eat a lot of cactus and other plants, and they do a really good job of dispersing seeds of native plants,’ McSpadden said.
Apart from the chili oil several other measures to discourage javelinas, including low-voltage electric fences, and eliminating food sources to make the animals hunt elsewhere are also being looked at, according to the Texas wildlife service.
‘One of the most least understood, and often feared animals that individuals come into contact with is the javelina,’ it told the Guardian.
‘But aggressive encounters with humans are very rare. [They] can be very troublesome to landowners when they become habituated to homes and human activities.’