The spaniel was a bird dog, but he wasn’t in search of your normal birdie. He didn’t even hunt in fields or prairies. Rather, he hunted the golf course–but only if his owner, R.A. Cornwell of Kramer hit a bad shot.

The Bottineau Courant reported today in 1930, that this golf hound was trained to help his master find his ball. All Cornwell needed to know was the approximate location, and his spaniel would find it. “And believe us,” the reporter wrote, “the dog enjoys the game, too. He follows his master closely and watches every drive but does not go after the ball until he is instructed to do so.” The Courant and News didn’t say if the dog helped Cornwell flush any eagles or birdies, but they did say he hasn’t lost a ball in the rough yet.

By Tessa Sandstrom

Sources:
“Dog is golf bug,” printed by The Bottineau Courant. August 27, 1930: 1.

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