By Francesca “Frankie” Silverstein
Hole 13 at Eastmoreland Golf Course features an out-of-play ravine, natural springs and, as of the beginning of September, goats. The goats are not a permanent fixture; they’re the employees of Go Goat Oregon, a goat rental service from McMinnville that provides eco-friendly weed control. This is the second year Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has hired Go Goat to deal with the tangle of blackberries, clematis and English Ivy overtaking hole 13.
PP&R uses an integrated pest management model that can include herbicides if necessary. However, the springs in hole 13’s ravine feed to both a lake and creek. Thus, to avoid polluting the water source, heavy machinery and herbicides couldn’t be used—but goats could.
Keara Broadhead, owner of Go Goat, explains, “I know when I’m putting my goats out somewhere, they’re not going to be harming the land. If anything, they’re helping the land: removing invasive species, creating that space so native plants can grow again.”
Not only are goats eco-friendly, they can access steep terrain that humans and machines can’t. “It would probably take four people two weeks with weed eaters to go down there and clean up what the goats do, just on their own, having fun,” says John Ball, Interim Director of Golf for the City of Portland.
Golf courses across the country have recognized these benefits, with a trip to California inspiring Ball to use goats. He recalls, “In 2024, we had the [United States Golf Association] agronomist out doing a course consultation visit. We were looking at some areas around the course that were a little bit overgrown…and he mentioned goats. I had seen them work in California, when I was in the Bay Area, and I thought, ‘This is just genius.’”
After some research, he reached out to Go Goat, and Eastmoreland’s newest greenskeepers were hired. Once hired, Go Goat set up portable fences, provided care instructions and then brought the goats, who stay until the cleanup is finished. In Broadhead’s words, “They don’t need a lot of support doing the job. They’re just filling their bellies and living their little best goat lives.” They’re also perfectly safe; Go Goat brings Rain and Dewy, llamas who act as protection from predators.
The goats strip plants of their leaves and green stems, but leave anything “woody” alone. Ball highlights, “It’s not the perfect solution for every situation, but here at Eastmoreland, I thought it was a win-win for everybody: for the environment, for the community and for Portland in general.”
Oregonians seem to agree, as business for Broadhead is booming. Go Goat completed around 24 jobs this year, ranging from wildfire prevention to maintenance for retirement communities, although Eastmoreland is currently the only golf course. Broadhead loves the variety of jobs, stating, “It’s great to meet people from all different walks of life who have all somehow ended up renting goats one day.”
The goats themselves are also a diverse bunch. Each has a distinct personality. “Texas Rexas—he just wants to get fed, so he follows me around. And then Henry kept trying to bite me,” says Ball. They all have one thing in common though: they don’t beat around the bush when it comes to hard work, but they might bleat around the bush—and they’ll definitely eat it.
Eastmoreland’s most popular employees take a break from working to pose for the camera. Photo by PP&R.
