Shooting kangaroos on the Joondalup Resort (Australia) golf course was the last option, according to course superintendent Ashley Watson.
As reported in last week’s Times, Department of Environment and Conservation officials were called in earlier this year to cull kangaroos that were damaging the course.
Mr Watson said kangaroos had caused few problems until late last year.
“They started homing in on the greens, I don’t know why, but they started digging holes in the greens,” he said.
Mr Watson said several alternatives were tried, such as putting different fertilisers and other materials on the greens to deter the animals, but nothing worked.
“One or two holes are not too bad but they were leaving 60 or 70 holes per night, we tried a few different products but nothing worked and the greens were becoming unplayable,” he said.
Originally, kangaroos were not suspected and it was only after course staff stayed overnight to monitor the greens that the cause of the damage was discovered.
Licensed DEC officers shot 13 kangaroos that were seen damaging the course in August and September, and Mr Watson said there had been almost no damage since then.
