Meet Katie, Longshore Golf Club’s 'Other' Greenskeeper

Almost but not quite as tricky as herding cats is the fine art of herding geese.

Just ask Katie — Longshore Golf Club’s 13-year old Border Collie, who has been minding flocks of our fine-feathered Canadian friends since she was a pup.

According to Steve Rubin of Westport Parks and Recreation, Katie was trained by officers at the Geese Police in Virginia specifically to control those pesky migrants who seem to favor pooping on pristine Gold Coast golf greens.

“She lives on the property with her handler Dan Rackliffe, and is always on patrol,” said Rubin.

The chief goose patrol officer eats twice daily and sleeps in an outdoor pen at night to protect her from wild coyotes and foxes who also prowl the club grounds. 

Katie responds to a variety of commands, including herding the flocks around the club’s golf course pond before scattering them into the Compo Beach basin. 

“The geese always come back, but Katie keeps them away from areas where they can cause problems,” said Rubin. 

Protecting the 169-acre club park with its immaculate 18-hole golf course, private beach, inn and restaurant, swimming pool, tennis courts, sailing school and yacht marina, might be a daunting task for some but not for Katie.

“She loves her job,” said Rubin. “Katie’s the least expensive employee the town has,” said Rubin. “She’s non-union but gets well paid in love.” 

Katie has indicated that she might consider joining a union if one was available but in this tough job market, the black & white pooch is happy to work for kibble & love. 

“Dan sometimes drives her around the grounds in a golf cart but when she sees geese, she hops out as instructed and does her job,” said Rubin.

Katie once injured her leg while on duty and needed to undergo surgery, but in no time flat she was back on patrol.

“Katie still enjoys being on the golf course,” said Rackliffe. “She doesn’t run as fast as she once did but she still gets the job done.”

“She looks kind of old and raggedy but happy,” said local resident Celia Gerteiny, www.partiesbycelia.com who spotted Katie wandering the grounds and stopped to say hello. “She was taking a break near the boat basin but then ran back to the golf course to do her work.”

The geese were quickly rounded up and herded away from the 17th hole.

“The longer she stays the more we love her,” said Rubin. “I guess Katie is nearing retirement age but she shows no signs of slowing down. But she is definitely showing her years.”

Katie stated through a spokesperson that she has no immediate plans to retire.

“Like any senior citizen, she takes her naps but then she’s up and back on the golf course,” said Rackliffe. “Katie loves her job.”

“She’s a great inspiration to other dogs — sometimes people offer to volunteer their pets to chase away the geese, but we prefer to let Katie handle it — just like she’s always done,” said Rubin.

And that’s a hole-in-one.