AUBURN – Rosie, Molly and Mister don’t own Prospect Hill Golf Course.

They just think they do.

The three Saint Bernards, 5 and 6 years old, are on duty nearly every day. They run groundhogs off the third hole or ride in a golf cart as George Gendron surveys the course. In the pro shop, they greet visitors with wags and affection.

George and his wife, Gwin Gendron, are the real owners of the golf course – and of the dogs.

“They’re just so sweet and cuddly,” Gwin said, scratching Mister’s head as the dogs wandered around the pro shop one recent morning. “No matter what your day is like, you can come in here and love them and cuddle them.”

At 112, 155 and 168 pounds, they surprise even the most ardent dog lover.

“All three. My gosh, all three!” exclaimed golfer Jackie Gardner as she walked into the pro shop and saw the dogs dozing among the golf bags. “They’re gorgeous. They’re ponies!”

When the Gendrons bought the course last winter, they decided they couldn’t leave their pets alone for the 10 to 14 hours a day it would take to run the business.

“You can’t just all of a sudden not be there with them. It’s like putting your kids in day care all the time,” Gwin said.

Every morning, they ask the dogs if they want to go to work. Answers range from snores to sprints to the door. The Gendrons always leave home with at least one shaggy companion. Sometimes they leave with all three.

A gated area at the back of the pro shop keeps the dogs and customers apart when needed, although Mister has figured out how to knock down the baby gate and push open the screen door. He’s been caught more than once rambling toward the snack shop in search of hot dogs.

With his rough-and-tumble attitude, Mister is the one most eager to go to work every morning.

The dogs spend much of their day sleeping in the pro shop, earning occasional scratches from enthralled golfers.

When the third hole is empty, they go down to the pond, where they lumber after groundhogs and ducks. When George needs to survey the course, one of the dogs goes along for the ride. Literally. The Gendrons modified a golf cart, creating a Saint Bernard-sized space in the back.

“The sad thing is the name of the cart is Deputy Dog,'” Gwin joked.