Pigs 1, Golfers 1: Hogs Stay; Links to Be Music-Free

Golfers at the Florida Club will still have to endure the stench from a neighboring pig farm, but they won’t have to listen to twangy tunes played for the porkers’ enjoyment.

Circuit Judge Ben Bryan on Thursday threw out his previous order requiring Thomas Rossano to remove the pigs by Aug. 2. But Bryan ordered Rossano to turn the music down eight decibels below what’s allowed by Martin County’s noise ordinance and to direct the outdoor speakers away from the Florida Club, a golf course across the street from the pig farm.

In a bizarre case of old Florida versus the new, Rossano had been fighting the club’s claims that the pigs smell and that the country music he plays to soothe the animals is a nuisance.

Bryan changed his mind during a five-day trial.

“There’s no question in my mind that the hogs were there before the golf course,” he said.

Rossano’s attorney, Lance Richard, called the ruling a “victory for the little guy,” but one that may be short-lived. The county is seeking the pigs’ removal because the property is not zoned for livestock.