Story transcript

The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch is revolutionising golf — with the help of goats.

The 140,000-acre ranch in Grant County, Ore., offers lodging, dining and unique golf experiences.

A golf course at the ranch, which will soon have a 7-hole golf course that offers goats as caddies. (Brian Oar)

This year, they're upping their golfing game with a seven-hole golf course set to open in July — the McVeigh's Gauntlet — which will offer goats as caddies.

For the uninitiated, a caddie helps carry around golf clubs, balls and other equipment for a player, all while providing them with moral support and advice. At Silvies Valley Ranch, goats are being trained to do exactly that.

As It Happens host Carol Off spoke with Colby Marshall, a vice president at the ranch about this new goat caddie program. Here is part of that conversation.

How did you come up with the idea of offering goats as caddies?

The idea really came, frankly, from the goats themselves. They have been seeking other career opportunities on the ranch, and so we developed this new career path for them.

Quite frankly, they're just stampeding to it.

Goats are born and raised at the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Grant County, Ore. Now, they are also being trained to become golf caddies. (The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch)

How good are they as caddies, these goats?

Well, you know, the caddies go through a rigorous training program. They're drafted in after applying. They go through a very intense physical training program. They're put on the highest-quality nutrition that they can have — they only drink spring water.

Ultimately, once they become caddies and they're comfortable in their position, one of the most difficult things for them, actually, is understanding the club selection and then communicating that club selection to the golfers and just like any caddie knows — of any species — golfers have to take their advice. So that's their toughest job, talking to the golfers.

What are the jobs that your goat caddies have?

Well, the primary job is to carry six golf clubs (three for each golfer), a dozen golf balls, golf tees and six cans of refreshments for their customers, along with a few dozen peanuts — because you know, they do get paid for their services as they go along.

The [McVeigh's Gauntlet] course is about a half mile long and they get a 20-minute break in between rounds along with healthy snacks of antelope brush, juniper and, again, as much spring water as they can drink.

So what's happening with your human caddies? How do they feel about losing their jobs to goats?

Well, that's the thing. We don't have any other caddies. The goat caddies are the only caddies that we have here at the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch. So we're not displacing any other two-legged caddies. This is a program specifically for four-legged caddies and we're creating this whole new career path for these caddies.

When the goat caddies eventually retire, they will be paired as pets to retired golfers. (The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch)

I know that at your ranch that you have a restaurant and you do serve goat. Is it possible that one's caddie would end up on one's menu?

At this point, Carol, there are no retired goat caddies because Bruce is obviously in good shape. He's at the prime of his career as a master caddie; he's working with the other caddies in the program. However, once they retire, they'll be placed as pets with retired golfers.

And they're not going to end up being dinner?

Well, obviously being a goat caddie on the [McVeigh's Gauntlet] at Silvies Valley Ranch is better than the alternative of working in the restaurant.