Llamas that carry your golf clubs and grazing while you hit your shot? We are not in Kansas anymore Toto.

Let’s face it we golfers live in a world where non-traditional golf experiences are growing daily. The growth of golf has introduced many new players into our game. The trend started with non-traditional golf courses, like par three or executive courses. Because people today are seeking instant gratification. 18 holes takes too long. That trend has spread to more tech related golf experiences. The trend has continued to the point where high-tech golf is combined with eating and drinking experiences. From TopGolf to PopStroke putt-putt courses golf is not just an outdoor activity where 9 or 18 holes are played. Even nighttime golf is gaining popularity. Today in the frozen tundra indoor golf on simulators are growing rapidly.

The newest trend in golf course transportation that seems to be gaining momentum is the one-person golf cars. At the recent PGA Golf Show in Orlando last January there were several very attractive and convenient one-person golf cars. These cars are filled with all the latest including connections for all your personal devices. We have witnessed the rise and quick fall of power golf boards, a large skateboard with an attachment for golf clubs. Another iteration of golf transportation is the golf bicycle. A few of these fat-tired contraptions may live on into the future for golfers who want to play golf while getting their exercise. Even motorcycles adapted for golf courses are showing some increase in demand.

The golf course non-traditional modes of transportation have found some traction but like all new things many have had a roller-coaster experience ending in disaster.

Caddies are another subject. To date there are no robot caddies, but I see those in the next few years. At one time, caddies were young kids who carried clubs around the golf course to earn a little money during the summer months to buy a soda and a candy bar. Today the caddy has morphed into a full-time job where a caddy can make a pretty good living enjoying the outdoors listing to off color jokes and giving a few stock tips.

Again, the idea of non-traditional has moved into a continuing experiment with the caddy. Animals trained as caddies have been used successfully for publicity more than a real time day-to-day alternative to a human toting clubs. But a few animals have created a buzz. A few years ago, I did a story about Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon. The very unique golf course provides goats as caddies on their par-3 golf course. I have heard about a few courses that have used donkeys as caddies as well.

Recently I came across a totally new, to me, concept. Llamas used to replace the traditional caddy. The story is interesting because llamas are on the downside of a once profitable llama breeding business. These relatives of the camel are native to South America primarily in the Andes mountains. These no-hump camels are used in the high mountain regions of the southern hemisphere. Their very soft and very dense fur was spun into yarn and made into cozy soft and very warm alpaca sweaters. Before the new age of synthetics, alpaca was warm and very fashionable because it was – not cheap.

There is an executive golf course in Bevard, South Carolina called Sherwood Forest Golf Club an 18-hole facility that offers llamas as caddies. Mike English local llama breeder and golf course owner started the idea. The ah-ha moment occurred when Mike, owner of 30 llamas decided to train a few of his llamas to carry golf clubs. The llamas wear a special crosstree saddle made to carry two special made golf bags. The animals are perfect for working as a caddy because they are sturdy and very docile and breed to carry heavy loads. There are many more reason llamas are perfect for this job. Llamas are mild mannered and very intelligent creatures; they are very easy to train. Llamas have soft hooves that do less damage to a golf course than golf cart tires and they cut through blades of grass and don’t pull up roots of the turf. But most of all they are hypoallergenic.

Imagine hiring a caddy because he or she is hypoallergenic!

A little more research led me to a 1991 story about Talamore, a new Rees Jones project in North Carolina. Talamore was a golf course/real estate development owned by a teenager at the time. Like most young people he was looking for new ideas and some excitement. The highly anticipated new golf course used llamas as caddies. The publicity was tremendous for the development and helped sell a lot of real estate. The llama caddies are a thing of the past, but the development retains four llamas for nostalgia purposes.

Llamas like most other non-traditional caddy ideas seem to have run their course but inventive entrepreneurs will continue to seek other alternatives. Stay tuned for the next chapter.