Disc golfers are used to encountering animals on the course. Squirrels, birds, and deer are common North American sightings, and elk can even make an appearance in the right setting (check out photos from Beaver Ranch in Colorado for proof). People with disc golf dogs are also par-for-the-course.
Despite fauna being a regular part of the sport, we imagine many disc golfers who showed up on March 6 at Trinity Disc Golf Course in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, had to pause and ask themselves, "Did I just see...a llama?"
And, indeed, they had.
The llamas on the course were part of a fundraising event for Southeast Llama Rescue being held at Good Hops Brewing, which built the permanent, free-to-play Trinity course next to its taproom. For $20, a group of up to four disc golfers could have a llama accompany them through a round as their caddie, and plenty were willing to help the cause in exchange for a novel experience.
"There were very few groups that had less than four, so I'd say at least 100 people tried it," said event organizer Tracy Munroe, head of Wit's End Llama Consortium.
Munroe talked with us about how she came up with the idea to offer up these camelid caddies to disc golfers and helped us learn a little more about llamas in general, too.
Where'd the Idea Come From?
Munroe runs various events to help raise money for charitable organizations focused on llamas and alpacas, and they typically focus on allowing people to meet the animals in a fun environment. Interest tends to be high, like at the pub crawls with llamas she has organized in Atlanta in her home state of Georgia.
"We usually do like four bars, and the bars think they won't need any extra bar tenders, that it won't be much," Munroe said. "Then they panic and frantically call every staff member because they're four deep [at the bar] for an hour to two hours."
She got the idea to do an event with llama caddies from her husband, Liam, who has played disc golf for nearly 30 years.
"Liam usually uses either one of our llamas or a Great Dane for his caddie," Munroe said, laughing.
The llamas can carry discs thanks to a Sopris Saddle, which is a saddle originally designed specifically for llamas. Players can put their discs in bags that are part of the saddles or hang their own bags from one of two horns the saddle has.
But even if there's the right equipment for them to caddie, are llamas actually good at the job? According to Munroe, absolutely.
"They're quiet, they stand still while you take your bag off and on and leaf through the discs, they're not gonna chase the disc, they don't startle," Munroe said. "Whereas having a dog on the course can get a little obnoxious, having a llama isn't going to do that."
You also shouldn't believe the tales about llamas commonly spitting at people, which Munroe says only happens when llamas feel particularly unsafe or are used to being abused.
"Normally it [spitting] is only used in herd atmospheres for space or dominance around other llamas," Munroe said. "So when somebody goes, 'Watch out, they'll spit!", I just look at them like they're crazy. My entire herd is a PR [public relations] herd, and they all feel safe. You think I'm going going to bring this guy out who's going to spit on you?"
Looking to Build Llama/Disc Golf Synergy
Along with raising funds, a big reason Munroe organizes events is to increase awareness that there are llamas in need of rescue and there's a network of people working to fulfill that need. The enthusiastic reception of the llama disc golf caddies at the March 6 event helped her meet both those goals, and she's convinced it's a concept she should stick with and expand.
She said that when she does it again, she'd like to have experienced disc golfers there to help newer players learn more about the game, which would make her event more valuable to attendees while also helping them get a little deeper into the sport from the start.
Additionally, she's very open to the idea of working with someone to create a disc golf competition that offers players llama caddies as part of its draw.
"If someone was interested in doing a tournament, well, that would be perfect," Munroe said.
Should anyone want to take Munroe up on that offer, you can reach her at [email protected].
