Animals are quite common on golf courses around the world. Whether it is kangaroos in Australia, deer in the British Isles or crocodiles in Florida, no player should be surprised to find species of all kinds roaming the venues, and it is widely accepted that they should be treated with as much respect as the golf course itself, if not with more.

That was not the case for a resident of Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, California, who was charged with cruelty to a goose at Chaparral Country Club in that community.

According to NBC Palm Springs, the man has been identified as Michael McCutcheon. He is accused of chasing two geese with a golf cart on the 5th hole of the course, hitting and injuring one of them and then beating it with a golf club.

The report states that McCutcheon threw the goose into a garbage dump while it was still alive, where it was found hours later by another resident who called animal control. Experts were forced to end the animal’s life due to the severity of its injuries.

After being identified, McCutcheon was arrested and taken to the police station. He was later released on bond. California law provides for various penalties for acts of animal cruelty, ranging up to three years in prison and/or fines of up to $20,000.

NBC Palm Springs television interviewed a Palm Desert neighbor who spoke about both her view of the matter and the feelings of the community. She identified McCutcheon as a relatively new resident of the area and felt that he should face charges and have his Chaparral Country Club membership revoked.

Chaparral Country Club is a private golf, tennis and net sports community. The golf course was designed by Ted Robinson and is nicknamed “The Little Monster” because it is a short par 60 with only 3914 yards from the back tees.

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