Scoring a hawk

Golf is littered with bird references.

There are the rare albatrosses, occasional eagles and more common birdies.

But how about a hawk.

That’s what confronted Waahi Taakaro club members Mike Murphy and Robbie Dellow on Thursday evening during a stroll around the Maitai Valley course which is renowned for its varied bird life.

As Mike searched for his ball in the rough on No 8 hole he saw a large harrier hawk pecking at something.

On closer inspection the bold bird was trying to take off with his ball. Jealously guarding its find, the hawk finally gave up after failing to either crack open the pesky object or get a firm enough grip of the ball in its talons.

And for those golf tragics who want to know what would have happened if the hawk had flown away with the ball, the laws of golf state that if your ball is moved by an outside influence, such as an animal or a spectator, there is no penalty to anyone and the ball must be replaced.

In other words, you just can't wing it.