Arizona Golf Course 'Destroyed' By Herds Of Javelinas

Greenkeepers waking up to damaged courses and airing their frustration alongside photos on social media is nothing new, but the offender is usually human, it’s often a one-time felony, and the affected area is fairly limited. 

However, in the case of Em Casey - assistant superintendent at Seven Canyons Golf Club in Arizona - collared peccaries, or javelina, are causing quite the long-term headache for her and her team.

Seven Canyons GC have been dealing with the pig-like perpetrator for several weeks now, as herds of the beast have continued to dig up vast areas of the perfectly-manicured course in an apparent search for food.

Javelina are native to the south-west corner of the United States - as well as throughout Central and South America, plus parts of the Caribbean - and have been known to cause carnage by trawling through earthy patches without a care in the world wherever they go.

And in Seven Canyons’ case, the herbivore - similar in stature and appearance to a wild boar - is causing a serious problem for Casey and the rest of the green staff.

In a 30-second video shared via her X (formerly Twitter) account @emcaseyturf on October 22, the assistant superintendent evidenced the significant amount of damage to tee boxes, fairways, and rough caused by the javelinas along with the message: “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.”

In earlier posts showing further damage, Casey asked for ideas on how to stop the peccaries returning and wrecking the idyllic track while revealing the grounds team spend between 45-50 hours a week fixing the damage.

Suggestions from responders around culling the pig-like creatures or setting traps were dismissed by Casey as the animals are protected in the state of Arizona, while hunting season is only between January and February “when [peccaries] are less of a problem.”

The Seven Canyons’ green staff’s latest preventative technique involved covering a patch of grass in one-million-Scoville-unit chili oil. Casey said that if the oil did not cause damage to the grass and kept the javelina at bay, it would be rolled out across the course. But after that post on October 4, the pig-like animals returned - hinting the battle between green staff and peccary is set to continue.