Jump to content
IGNORED

Alligators on the course. . .


Splifton
Note: This thread is 4582 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

My brother was telling me this story on Christmas day of his experience golfing in Mexico where he said he shanked his ball in a pond/lake.  When he went to go retrieve his ball he said that he saw an alligator within five feet of his ball.  He got the ball no problem.

Apparently after my brother hit his shot and approached the green, some bystander was walking his dog and his dog was headed towards the pond to get a drink.  As the dog lapped up the water, my brother started running towards the dog owner and his dog while yelling at the dog owner trying to warn him about the alligator(s) in the pond. During this time my brother could see the alligator move in towards the dog.  Luckily the dog owner got his dog away from the pond in time.

My brother however said he was tempted to not say anything to see what would happen, but some how he could not help himself from saving the dog.  I told him that if he video'd it and put it on YouTube it would go viral like Antoine Dodson.

I live in California, so alligators are rare in this part of the country.

The question I have is: has anyone seen an alligator get crazy or should I say do create some mayhem while on the course?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I live in Fl and we have gators everywhere. I have seen a couple gators eat things such as turtles, ducks, and birds. But nothing to entertaining.

WITB:

  • Driver: Titleist TSR3 8.0 A3, Badazz 60g S
  • Hybrid: Cobra Baffler 17*
  • Irons: T200 P-4
  • Wedges: Callaway X Forged 48*,56*,60*
  • Putter: Ping Anser Milled 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I'm scared to death of alligators. When I go to Florida this Spring we'll see how I do haha.

Career Bests:

9 Holes--37 @ The Fairways at Arrowhead-Front(+2)

18 Holes--80 @ Carroll Meadows Golf Course(+9)

 

Home Course:

1) The Fairways at Arrowhead

2) Mayfair Country Club

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Check this out....

Originally Posted by kpaulhus

Well Im a few days late, but here are just a small selection of my fellow reptiles on the golf course lol

I got pretty close to this first one. He was asleep and as soon as I took the picture he woke up and started moving....so I scrammed lol



Kyle Paulhus

If you really want to get better, check out Evolvr

:callaway: Rogue ST 10.5* | :callaway: Epic Sub Zero 15* | :tmade: P790 3 Driving Iron |:titleist: 716 AP2 |  :edel: Wedges 50/54/68 | :edel: Deschutes 36"

Career Low Round: 67 (18 holes), 32 (9 holes)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

My buddy & I just hit out tee shots on a par 4  & out of the corner of my eye I see this big black form coming out of the woods about a hundred yards from us.     There are alot of bears in northern NJ, but this was by far the biggest bear I've ever seen - it honestly went 400+.      We stop, it looks at us, lumbers around, keeps an eye on us, and eventually sits down in the middle of the fairway & commences to lick his paws.   OK, so at that time, we figured he wasn't looking to eat us, so it was ok to move, so we backed up, and walked 2 holes up & over.      Talk about puckering up - probably the most uneasy I've been in a long time ... I couldn't help but tell my buddy the old joke (two guys see a bear who is walking towards them in an aggressive manner & the one guy bends over slowly to take off his boots & put on his track shoes ... the other guys says, what the hell are you doing ... he says, all I have to do is outrun you .... he didn't see the humor at the time)

John

Fav LT Quote ... "you can talk to a fade, but a hook won't listen"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades



Originally Posted by tsbrewers

The meanest things we have on the course around here are geese.

honest question, if you hit your ball near one, do you get a free drop??

Brew


One of my favorite courses to play has a bunch of gators on it, we always give a free drop around the gators.

my get up and go musta got up and went..
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

During my golf week in Myrtle Beach, I had encounters with one alligator and one Copperhead snake.

The alligator was easy, on TPC Myrtle Beach, I was first to tee off, and a buddy of mine said "Watch out for that gator!!!!!".  I thought he was messing with me, so I laughed and hit my drive, then when I turned around, there was a gator about 15 feet from me, and they were back towards the carts.

The Copperhead was at Longbay, and I hit my ball into a little gulley to the right hand side of the fairway.  No big deal, I can hit out of there, or so I thought.  I got down there, and a Copperhead was laying his head a few inches from my ball.  I thought just flicking at him with my iron would scare him off, but it had the exact opposite effect, he started coming at me, and chased me out of the gulley.  I took a free drop on that one, and lost a brand new ball to the snake.  He wasn't giving it back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Down hee in SW Florida we have gators all over the place, on the course out the back of my house has a three legged gator than goes from one pond/lake by the tee box to the lake by the green, he walks straight down the fairway. I got him on my phone last May:

There was another time when I almost walked into a four footer lying on the bank of a lake, I was looking down and I didn't see him 'cos the bill of my cap was blocking my sight, he swang round really quick and kinda hissed at me. Now, if I'm looking for a ball near water I take my sunglasses off and raise my hat a liitle!

Driver: Taylormade R9
3 Wood: Cobra S 9-1
5 Wood: Cobra S 9-1
7 Wood: Cobra S 9-1

Irons: Taylormade r7 Custom Fit (SW-4)

Putter: Taylormade Rossa Monza Spyder

Balls: Titleist Pro V1x

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I used to live in Florida in Pensacola and the course near my house had some large gators that would hang out around the ponds.  One day there were two, one about 10' long and the other a mere 8', sunning themselves.  My father-in-law was driving the cart and pulled up within about four feet of them, stopping so my side was facing the gators.  I asked him what in the heck he was doing and he said not to worry, they won't bother us.  I really didn't want to find out.

In my bag:

Driver: FT-5, 9° stiff
Wood: Big Bertha 3W/5W
Irons: X-20 TourWedges: X Tour 52°/56°Hybrids: Idea Pro 2/3/4Putter: Black Series #2Ball: NXT Extreme/NXT Tour
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Just remembered this one.  Not only is the cat dumb, but the people too.  Gators are much faster than people think.

In my bag:

Driver: FT-5, 9° stiff
Wood: Big Bertha 3W/5W
Irons: X-20 TourWedges: X Tour 52°/56°Hybrids: Idea Pro 2/3/4Putter: Black Series #2Ball: NXT Extreme/NXT Tour
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Contrary to popular belief, alligators are pretty slow creatures when running.  A fast gator can run 12 mph.  They are ambush predators and do not chase their prey.

I live about 15 minutes from the Everglades so I've encountered plenty of them down here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites




Originally Posted by srjorion

Just remembered this one.  Not only is the cat dumb, but the people too.  Gators are much faster than people think.


Wild stuff.  That cat is fearless......I can't believe that one guy is bending down next to the gators.  Nuts.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Having grown up in the deserts I didn't know much about alligators.  But my sister married a fellow from the SE and we play in SC once in awhile near the coast.  At first I found having Gators around the course disconcerting (an understatement) and signs posted around the ponds that warned you to not try to retrieve you ball from water hazards with your hand didn't make it better.  But after awhile you get used to it.  Gators are quick (not the same as fast) and so caution is advised and most courses will advise you to keep your distance from the resident alligators.  Having watched them catch fish in the course ponds I think that is really good advice.

Butch

Link to comment
Share on other sites




Originally Posted by Tugglife2

Contrary to popular belief, alligators are pretty slow creatures when running.  A fast gator can run 12 mph.  They are ambush predators and do not chase their prey.

I live about 15 minutes from the Everglades so I've encountered plenty of them down here.



I have lived here in SW Florida for the last six years, and I have been told by many Florida Fish and Wildlife Commision officials that a gator can run up to 20mph for 30yds +/-, mind you I wouldn't like to try and prove them wrong! lol

Driver: Taylormade R9
3 Wood: Cobra S 9-1
5 Wood: Cobra S 9-1
7 Wood: Cobra S 9-1

Irons: Taylormade r7 Custom Fit (SW-4)

Putter: Taylormade Rossa Monza Spyder

Balls: Titleist Pro V1x

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 8 months later...
  • Administrator

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades



Originally Posted by Tugglife2

Contrary to popular belief, alligators are pretty slow creatures when running.  A fast gator can run 12 mph.  They are ambush predators and do not chase their prey.

I live about 15 minutes from the Everglades so I've encountered plenty of them down here.


Even 12 mph is a fast run for the average person.  Gators can run faster than that in short spurts which is why people are told to zig-zag if being chased.

I live in an area with a lot of alligators.  I hate them--wish every last one would be killed.  But, since that is not going to happen, I just pay close attention to the banks around ponds and use a ball retriever or my club to get balls out of the water (assuming no alligators are within 50' or so).  I have been caught off guard a few times playing shots only to realize I was within 15-20' of an alligator.

Always changing:

 

Driver: Cobra S2/Nike VR Pro 10.5º

Irons: Callaway X-20 Tour 4-9i

Hybrid: Titleist 910H 19º & 21º

Wood: TaylorMade R11 3w

Putter: Odyssey White Hot

Wedges: Titleist Vokeys - 48º, 54º, 62º

 

First round: February 2011

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



acccording to golf rules if the position puts the player in a dangerous situation (bees nest over ball) then you get a free relief

Originally Posted by tsbrewers

The meanest things we have on the course around here are geese.

honest question, if you hit your ball near one, do you get a free drop??

Brew



My clubs-

Driver- Cleveland XL270 

3 wood- Cleveland XL270 HL 3 wood

hybrid and irons-Cleveland Mashie 3 hybrid 

                        Adams a4r 4 hybrid-gw

wedges- a4r pw, gw, snakeyes 

             Callaway x-series jaws 56 Degree, 60 Degree

putter- Oddessey metal-x 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 4582 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...