"Put Me Down For A Five..."

[Elrey Desol]

"...and you can keep the ball."

 

[dennyjones]

My take on it...if there's one, there probably more..   Where's the 19th?

[jkelley9]

Just chip it over the snake and smack in the hole bro. Gosh.

[billchao]

Doesn't look like any venomous snake I recognize. Poke it with the butt end of your driver and see what happens.

[Hardspoon]

I almost ran this guy over with a cart a few weeks back:

Doesn't look like much, but that sucker was about 5 feet long and I almost jumped out of my shoes when he darted across the path.

[jkelley9]

Snakes can be lightning quick, but at least in NC there aren't many poisonous ones to worry about on a golf course (but they do exist, the most common being a copperhead). So long at you use a long stick or something to move them, they will either attack the direct threat (the stick/club) or run away. They're very skiddish. People get bit because they're either stupid, or get caught in a unlucky circumstance. When the snake is visible and out in the open it's pretty easy to not get bit (knock on wood).

Of course, what's the big loss if you just skip the hole? Maybe sucks for HC purposes but I wouldn't feel bad giving myself a 2 from 15 ft or something in a friendly match. 20 ft I'd probably just skip the hole and only count 17 (or 8) holes

Edited July 22, 2016 by jkelley9

[Aguirre]

I ran over a seven footer at The Witch in Myrtle Beach once. My buddies in the cart in front of me also ran it over. They didn't even notice it. I thought it was an usual stick until it was too late. The snake seemed fine, darted back into the swamp. 

For those familiar with the course, it was on the long path from #9 back to the clubhouse. The front nine is the nine holes in the middle of the swamp.

[Patch]

When we encounter rattlers out here, and they are in the way,  we just add one,  or two strokes, depending on the distance, and call it good. You just don't screw around with Ma Nature's pets. 

[Gator Hazard]

I may be wrong but I believe all poisonous snakes in North America are pit vipers with the exception of the coral snake. Pit vipers most distinctive trademark is their triangular or arrowhead shape because their venom glands are in the back of their jaws behind the fangs. So in general (going to stress that) if a snake has a sleekish head where jaws don't stick out into a triangle it's a good chance it is not poisonous but if you don't know don't mess with it.  We have black racers all over and I finally caught one a few months ago so I could show my kids and my daughters friends.  Didn't handle him long or stress him/her out too much and it calmed down and then we let it go on its way.

Coral snakes on the other hand are the most venemous (most potent venom) in NA but have small rear facing fangs. They have to chew the poison into you and for whatever reason are very cool customers with a good temperament. I still wouldn't mess with one. 

I recently saw a fat daddy water snake, blackish with red triangles on the bottom, over on hole 12 water hazard last weekend.  Pretty cool, must have just ate because he looked full and happy. 

[Natural Patrick]

I actually used a golf club once to kill a snake in my yard once. I believe it was a 4 iron, It was easy because I new the snake was not Poisson's..

[billchao]

11 minutes ago, Gator Hazard said:

I may be wrong but I believe all poisonous snakes in North America are pit vipers with the exception of the coral snake. Pit vipers most distinctive trademark is their triangular or arrowhead shape because their venom glands are in the back of their jaws behind the fangs.

AFAIK yes, which is why I said it isn't any venomous snake I recognize. Rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads all have that triangular shaped head.

Coral snakes have a distinct banding pattern.

[Aguirre]

8 minutes ago, Natural Patrick said:

I actually used a golf club once to kill a snake in my yard once. I believe it was a 4 iron, It was easy because I new the snake was not Poisson's..

Don't do that again.

[Gator Hazard]

1 hour ago, Natural Patrick said:

I actually used a golf club once to kill a snake in my yard once. I believe it was a 4 iron, It was easy because I new the snake was not Poisson's..

Then why did you kill it?  Snakes are great for rodent/pest control. Totally unnecessary to kill any snake when can be moved easily with a call to animal control. There are palm rats in Florida. The snakes eat them and keep them in control. All non venemous snakes are welcome around my house. Venemous ones I'll call and get them a lift someplace better suited for them. 

[Shindig]

3 hours ago, jkelley9 said:

Of course, what's the big loss if you just skip the hole? Maybe sucks for HC purposes but I wouldn't feel bad giving myself a 2 from 15 ft or something in a friendly match. 20 ft I'd probably just skip the hole and only count 17 (or 8) holes

For handicap purposes, you're right.  If you pick up before completion, put the most likely score from where you were.  From 15', that's likely a 2.  It's also why it's okay in a handicap round (not a competition) to pick up a tap-in, call the next stroke holed, and write down the score.  If you skip the hole entirely -- say, the entire fairway is covered in snakes -- write a net par (par + however many strokes you'd be entitled to).  If you skip too many with the latter rule, you don't get to record the round (need near-completion on 5+ for a 9-hole score or 13+ for 18). 

 

1 hour ago, Natural Patrick said:

 It was easy because I new the snake was not Poisson's..

Was it a Bernoulli?

[boogielicious]

9 hours ago, billchao said:

Doesn't look like any venomous snake I recognize. Poke it with the butt end of your driver and see what happens.

You poke it. I will stand back there!

I do know advanced first aid if that helps!

[CarlSpackler]

Put me down for whatever. I'm outta there! I don't do snakes. 

BTW - They found a nasty bugger in a storage closet here at work yesterday. Just one of the many things I have to get used to living in FL.

9 hours ago, Gator Hazard said:

I may be wrong but I believe all poisonous snakes in North America are pit vipers with the exception of the coral snake.

http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/floridasvenomoussnakes

[dennyjones]

10 hours ago, Natural Patrick said:

I actually used a golf club once to kill a snake in my yard once. I believe it was a 4 iron, It was easy because I new the snake was not Poisson's..

booo.....ha ha..   I believe this went over many people.

[jetsknicks1]

1 hour ago, CarlSpackler said:

Put me down for whatever. I'm outta there! I don't do snakes. 

BTW - They found a nasty bugger in a storage closet here at work yesterday. Just one of the many things I have to get used to living in FL.

http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/floridasvenomoussnakes

Yup, that's something you'll get used to down here, one of the things I like about playing some courses here is the wildlife you can see. I'm playing a course tomorrow where it's not unusual at all to see snakes, gators, deer, turkey, hawks, Eagles and even the occasional Florida panther.