Bear surprises golfers at Brookside Par 3 Golf Course

When a bear runs onto a golf course, the owner acts quickly to scare him off

Courtesy: Veronica Mills

ROANOKE, Va. – Golfers at Brookside Par 3 were in for a big surprise Tuesday afternoon when a bear stumbled onto the golf course.

Milton Crandall, the owner of Brookside, says that one of his employees first saw the bear at around 2:30 p.m. He saw it running into a wooded area across the street and didn't think much of it.

Recommended Videos



Then several hours later the bear was back, making an appearance on the eighth hole. Crandall says he and other employees were concerned about the golfers nearby, including several kids on the course.

He says his first reaction was to move toward the bear, getting between it and the families nearby.

"He was moving fast. I think he was more scared of us than we were of him," says Crandall. "We were just most concerned about the golfers. This is the first time in 20 years I've seen a bear at Brookside."

Crandall says he has let police and animal control know about the incident. He says they're keeping a close eye on the area, making sure the bear does not return.