Feral hogs have found their way into the Sun City community in Georgetown, this time tearing up White Wing Golf Club.
“This is pretty devastating,” said White Wing golfer Ray Stafford.
If there is one thing you can guarantee to see at a golf course, it's lush, bright green grass, but in the last few days the White Wing golf course has looked a little bit different.
Wild hogs have plowed through chunks of their course causing thousands of dollars worth in damage. And it wasn't just one hole they managed to destroy.
"10, 11 and 12 and a little bit on 13 there, too,” said golfer Mike Thomas. Number 15 has also been torn up.
It’s really hard to miss, and golfers are trying to avoid it.
"Well, it can if you land in it, that’s the bad news. If you try to work around it it's not so bad but still, I mean, aesthetically it's terrible,” Stafford said.
Looking at the mess, you would think it was a large pack.
"They were hungry, and I can't believe how deep they went...they were deep!” Thomas said.
Wildlife biologist Warren Bluntzer said the group is actually a lot smaller than we think.
"Three to five, maybe maximum of eight,” Bluntzer said.
But why are the feral hogs even attracted to the golf course?
"Number one it's getting dry again, they're moist out there,” Bluntzer said. “Secondly, this is the time of the year where the grubs are in the soil off the greens, they work those greens over."
Traps have been set out, equipped with infrared sensors and an alarm when a hog enters. They are all controlled through an online system, allowing Blunzter to have visual access all day.
Still, it takes weeks, even months to get a hold of the pack.
"The feral swine in Texas right now is a major problem and they will continue to be a major problem,” Bluntzer added. “And when they are in municipalities like they are in Sun City, they are definitely hard to control."
For now, golfers will just have to deal with the eyesore.
"They just need to get it done and get it done quick, obviously,” Stafford said.
Blunzter said the last time Georgetown had an issue with wild hogs was about five years ago. It took about four and half months to get them under control.