Birds, alligators, snakes, and countless other animals often make appearances on golf courses, but this time, a bear seemed to want more than just to make an appearance. Most of the time, these animals cause little more than a brief distraction. That wasn’t the case, however, for one golfer in British Columbia when a black bear was caught on camera stealing clubs from a cart. The video was first posted on the r/golf subreddit on Sunday. A few days later, it made its way to X, where user JP reshared the clip. 

“This bear wants a birdie.🤣🤣,” JP wrote. “I’ve never see[n] a bear steal golf clubs before, how about you?⛳️”

According to reports, the incident unfolded at the Golden Eagle Golf Club in Pitt Meadows. Meanwhile, in the clip, a bold bruin can be seen gnawing at a bag of clubs attached to a cart. It then forcefully tries to pull the bag off the cart, as a man can be heard humorously pleading with the animal.

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“Bear, get off my golf clubs, please. Ohh, he is ripping my bag.”

Moments later, the bear successfully rips the bag off and starts carrying it to a different location. The man can be heard jokingly asking the bear to return, rightfully hesitant to engage in the video posted to X.

“Bear, get back here.”

Some have presumed the bold bruin was carrying off the bag to search for snacks inside it. As the clip unfolds, another ursid can be seen nearby awaiting the spoils.

While it remains unclear whether the owner of the golf clubs was able to get his property back from the wild predator, the bear surely has a few clubs in his arsenal to perfect his swing! However, news outlet UPI reported that bears have been seen on the golf course on several occasions in recent days. Golden Eagle Golf Club also shared videos of three bears playing on the course in June.

Such incidents aren’t unheard of on courses, however. An October 2025 report by The Weather Network covered bear sightings on the ‘Signature Course’ at The Rise Resort in Vernon, B.C., which is also located in British Columbia. Apparently, seeing a bear there is not out of the ordinary, as the course is in the hilltops of Canada.  And this is not just a Canadian problem—bears have appeared on golf courses across the world, including in Japan, the United States, and Canada.

In fact, ursid appearances on a Japanese golf course have caused more than just a few minutes of confusion. 

Bear appearances stopped JLPGA golf tournaments last year

Last year, a couple of golf tournaments were cancelled due to bear encounters. May 2025 saw the final round of the Twinfield Ladies, part of the JLPGA Tour’s second-tier Step Up Tour, get canceled after a bear was spotted on the course. Then, in July, a bear was spotted in the morning hours before the Meiji Yasuda Ladies tournament. Played at the Sendai Classic Golf Club, it’s also part of the JLPGA Tour.

The incident forced organizers to put safety ahead of competition. According to CBS News, officials said at the time that the decision was made after the animal was seen near the venue, making it unsafe for players, staff, and spectators. 

The reason for heightened bear encounters was blamed on climate change by experts. Shifting food sources and changing rural landscapes were contributing factors. Since Japan’s population is continuously moving to urban spaces, bears have received the opportunity to reclaim the rural landscape. Biologist Koji Yamazaki of Tokyo University spoke to CBS News in 2023 about the growing bear territories.

“Then that area recovered to the forest, so bears have a chance to expand their range.”

In February of that year, Japan’s government made it legal for hunters to shoot bears in populated areas. In December 2024, a bear that had rampaged through a supermarket for two days was captured and later killed. The same 2025 report by CBS News also stated that bears had become a rising threat in Japan. With 219 people being attacked, leading to six reported deaths in 12 months, it’s no surprise that they are showing up on wooded golf greens.

That being said, there appear to be two sides to similar incidents. While the recent video may seem lighthearted, bears appearing on golf courses can turn dangerous pretty quickly. While the men in the video are seen filming very close to the bear, it’s definitely advisable to keep your distance!