Characters & Critters

In the morning dusk of Thursday, August 13th, 2009 on the grounds of Hazeltine National, the most frightened “Goose” won’t be Retief, the most harry presence won’t be Miguel Angel Jimenez, and the loudest growl won’t come from

Golf in the desert has created hundreds of oasis where wildlife flourishes and “snow birds” enjoy perfect golf conditions. The variety of critters that make their homes on

DONALD TRUMP AND BARACK OBAMA Both Presidents Are Golfers  By R.J. Smiley Now that the election is over and Donald Trump has been inaugurated President, one image sticks in my mind. Donald Trump and Barack Obama standing on the world stage...

MEADOW MICE THRIVE ON GOLF COURSE IN WINTER By R.J. Smiley Over the years "Critters On the Course" has shared a variety of stories and tales of the variety of critters that make their home on these man made oasis known as a golf course. This...

IGUANA EATS GOLF BALL AT TRUMP GOLF COURSE By R.J. Smiley First, let's set the scene: It is the final round of the 2014 Puerto Rico Open Golf Tournament contested on the Coco Beach Golf Course at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande,...

SERGIO GARCIA By R.J. Smiley The honeymoon before the honeymoon. A (finally) mature Sergio Garcia enjoys a pre-marriage party before his marriage to exGolf Channel star, Angela Akins. Golf fans have always loved Sergio! We have been waited for...

THE GREAT HORNED OWL AT LOST CREEK COUNTRY CLUB By R.J. Smiley A Great Horned Owl made the superintendent at Lost Creek Country Club famous. Golf courses provide the perfect environment and great homes for many of nature's critters. But of all...

Rick Tegtmeier By R.J. Smiley b, the 36-hole facility that will host the 2017 Solheim Cup Matches. Rick has a passion for his job. Not the job of maintaining and improving DMGCC, the job of overseeing the maintenance of a golf course. He loves...

WAR OVER GOSLINGS By R.J. Smiley Canadian Geese have flourished over the past 25 years across the northern half of North America. The wedge shaped white bib just below their eyes on their black heads makes these huge grey/brown birds easily...

"FAST EDDIE" MANDERVILLE By R.J. Smiley He is a Minnesota golf icon! Ed Manderville single handily shattered the color barrier in Minnesota golf. On Memorial Day 2017, "Fast Eddie," made his eleventh Ace, at age 85. With an outgoing personality...

Bumble Bee Gets GoPro Look By R.J. Smiley In these days of skintight slacks, most readers of Tee Times will not remember those loose fitting double pleated slacks from yesteryear. During the post-war 50's and 60's golf was exploding in the...

Westy and His "Buddy" Chuck Foreman By R.J. Smiley Westy, through eyes blurred by his favorite beverage, Beefeaters' Gimlets, had nearly holed a long green-side bunker shot on the tough 18th at Olympic Hills Country Club, a track known for the...

PHIL MICKELSON - 100 MAJORS AND COUNTING By R.J. Smiley Basketball fans can relate. Imagine a basketball player playing in 100 Final Four games or 100 NBA Finals games. There are only two Final Four games and four to seven NBA Final gams each...

GOOSE STEALS PUTTER By R.J. Smiley With Bernie's putter tucked securely under its left wing, papa goose swam to the center of the pond. Papa goose stretched his head upward and with a taunting honk, flapped his wings dropping the putter into...