Moose Jaw golf course grappling with mystery gophers

By Jay D Haughton

Players golfing at the Hillcrest Golf Club in Moose Jaw may have noticed more critters starting to call the course home.

One critter, specifically — the Richardson Ground Squirrel, commonly known as gophers — has crawled onto the golf course.

The animals haven’t arrived on their own.

“There has been a gentleman in a newer purple-coloured Chevy, parking in the Wal-Mart parking lot and then coming over towards the golf course and releasing a live trap of gophers,” said Tommy Masson, interim superintendent of Hillcrest Golf Club.

“It’s happened a few times now.”

While Masson said he understands the person responsible for releasing the gophers is likely trying to do the right thing, the interim superintendent suggested another location for the gophers.

“There are tons of areas outside the city or protected parks. A nuisance animal on the golf course can cause a lot more harm than good,” he said.

The gophers have been creating work for the ground crew on the course, who have to clean up after the critters.

“Richardson Ground Squirrels cause all kinds of underground tunnels and mounding, which affect the health of the grass and a ton of other things,” Masson explained.

“It’s a huge problem that every course on the prairies has to deal with and it’s something that we don’t need during this year.”

Masson said the Moose Jaw Police Service has been contacted about the problem and an investigation has been opened.

In the 16 years Masson has worked on golf courses, this is the first instance that he has witnessed someone releasing gophers onto a course.

“Usually, it’s a common goal to get the gophers off a golf course and not put more onto it,” he said.

Currently, Masson and his staff are mitigating the gopher increase by trying to trap as many as they can.

Anyone who might have information about the situation is asked to call the Moose Jaw police non-emergency line at 306-694-7600.