Golf play at the Knollwood Country Club was suspended for several hours yesterday after a bear wandered onto the course.   The LAPD reportedly invoked a "Bear Paws" rule, which allows human golfers to be removed from the green in order to maintain the peace.   Players said they received notification just before 7 a.m. that a fuzzy creature was seen wandering in the vicinity of hole 11.

Knollwood employees took to the course in a golf court in order to wrangle those who had not gotten the message.  One player said that from afar, it looked like a large dog.  Upon closer look, he said, it was clear he had been wrong.  It instead looked very much like a healthy, full-sized bear.

Members of the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to keep an eye on the situation.  They also wanted to be on hand to protect local residents and course patrons.  A helicopter was even deployed to keep an eye on things from the air. A local game warden was called in to administer a tranquilizer dart. The bear dozed off a short time later.  He was transported back to his natural habitat.   A representative from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife believes the creature may have wandered up to the course in search of water.

Residents said they have never seen this type of animal wander onto the course before but should it ever happen again, they know to give the bear the right of way on the green.