By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer
PELHAM – Ballantrae’s first four-legged employee announced his retirement this week after four energetic years on patrol at Pelham’s Ballantrae Golf Club.
Driver, a German shorthaired pointer, first came to the Ballantrae Golf Club as an eight-week-old puppy in May 2020. Growing up quickly, Driver has patrolled the green for the past four years in pursuit of his sworn enemy, geese.
“Over the four years of service, Driver has saved the facility over $50,000 in staff labor and new sod from the damage that would have been caused by the geese,” said Ballantrae Golf Club General Manager Hal Brown.
According to Brown, Driver has performed well beyond expectations during his service and has succeeded in his mission where decoys, ropes, sirens and deterrent sprays all failed.
Prior to Driver’s introduction, Ballantrae’s maintenance teams were constantly burdened with the task of cleaning up unsightly feces and repairing areas of damaged sod imperiled by the birds, which amounted to an average of $10,000 in annual costs and damages.