Close Encounters of the Javelina Kind

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Was a really nice weather day in Tucson, about 74 degrees this January day, and I took advantage and played nine holes at the Coyote 9 at the Starr Pass Golf Club . I ended up not being paired with anyone as there were really no other groups playing that 9 in the afternoon as I was. As I was walking up the 8th fairway to find my ball for my third shot to the par 5, I discovered that there were not people working behind the green, but rather a group of Javelina or Collared Peccary, luxuriating around the green. I took a few photos of them from that vantage point figuring that after I hit my shot and began my walk up to the green they would disperse.

Turns out I hit a terrible shot, kind of a low liner of a shot for a 9 iron, managed to say Fore! with a laugh as they were clearly not going to know what that meant. Luckily, my shot did not hit one of them, but landed very close that one of them picked the ball up in their mouth for a brief moment before deciding it was not of interest and dropped it from its mouth. The ball ended up just left of the bunker short right, and I would manage to get and up and down from there to save my par.

I took out my phone to get some better photos of them than I had from the fairway, and to my surprise they began a slow "I don't have to be anywhere soon" saunter my way. I didn't realize it at the time, but they would make their way up to me and check me and my golf bag, pull cart, and golf glove out. I got a little uneasy as they got quite close to me, witihin about 5 feet a couple of times, causing me to take a step back. Turns out there were about 20 individuals total, about a dozen or so that approached me, with the remainder of the group just over the back of the 8th green.

They remained good ambassadors of the golf course, and after looking around for a little bit, continued their saunter off into the desert. I suspect people regularly offer them food, and that is why they were so curious about me and so docile. I wasn't concerned for my safety at all. Was a very cool experience!

Once I reached the green, I could see at least one of them had walked on the green, and did not take the time to repair the light damage their hoof prints left on the green. Ha!

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Photos

Was thinking this might be the best shot I would get of them

Getting a little closer for a better photo

Whoa. They are all coming my way

Sizing up my golf glove, bag and pull cart.

Nom, Nom, Nom?
They didn't actually try to eat anything. Got plenty of sniffing in though.

You brought food to share right?
Do you know what it is that we do here?

This was the closest to me any of them got, and this one was quite close.