What to do about Aligators?

[MtlJeff]

My advice is be very carefull near water. And NEVER go digging around the woods for lost balls. The 5 foot rattlesnake came out of the woods across our tee box with out a care in the world. The gator was a nice one and you can see my ball tried to scare him into the water by inchig the golf cart towards him he didn't budge.dont know why the gator picture keeps uploading upside down but you get the idea. Both taken in Palm beach county Florida.

 

is that a rattlesnake, i cant tell from the picture

 

Yes one of the guys I was playing with siad it was an eastern diamondback.

 

Looks like one yes. Eastern Diamondbacks are i believe the largest poisonous snake in the world by mass, heavier on average then their brothers, the Western Diamondback. As if they aren't scary enough, Florida also has a burmese Python problem

 

I don't know how rare Gators are, to the OP. I've golfed in Florida a few times and i always see Gators.

 

Thing with Gators and Snakes, they don't really "want" to attack you. Most people just stay away from them and are fine. I've seen several Gators and most of the time, they don't even move let alone act threatening. First gator i saw on the course, he was asleep on a tee box. We went to another tee box (duh) and hit from there. In 5-10 minutes he did not move even an inch

[ob1soccer]

OK I THOUGHT IT WAS A PYTHON

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

I've never been to Florida before so my question might be a bit niave. I know that there is a small chance of coming across an Aligator when you are playing some of the courses.

What should you do?

a) Just leave the ball where it is and drive on? (I'll put myself down for a birdie on the score card)

b) wrestle with the gator and bring my wife back a pair of shoes?

c) take a selfie with the Aligator and die in the attempt?

d) tell the caddie this is where he earns his tip?

e) just thank god it isn't a saltwater crocodile.

[ob1soccer]

saltwater crocs are mean and will chase you down and eat you, very grumpy

[cxx]

I had a caiman as a pet when I was a kid. That thing was incredibly viscous from the day it was hatched. The biggest problem is when people feed the gators, they associate people with food and have a tendency to approach. Also, the downside of a gator or poisonous snake bite is huge. Your golf game may never recover from it. I would avoid both.

[mwmgolfx]

I've played tons of courses over the years in Florida and have seen lots of gators on the courses. Generally don't bother them and they won't bother you. I've hit a few balls next to them and just left the ball there and hit from a safe distance (usually about 30 yards). (USGA says that's fine - no penalty).

 

One minor issue that a lot of people from Up north seem to run into that they don't seem to realize is an issue is Fire Ants. They can cause severe bites and major problems with a lot of people. Rule is avoid at all costs. If you ball is near a colony (and it could be small one ) move ball to safe distance before hitting. Perfectly legal and highly recommended. Played a week ago with someone and he didn't pay attention and got bit at one course by them and lost a couple days of his vacation because of all the stings/bites.

 

Fire Ants in my mind are more of an issue than gators. Common sense with gators always works. Fire Ants can be totally unexpected if you're not watching carefully.

[Baitkiller]

^^^ very good point. If insect bites make you swell up like the stay puft dude you are not gonna get along well with fire ants. Look for raised sand piles in the grass, normally rough that doesn't get the anti-bug attention the fairways do and near water. These guys can seriously wreck a picnic.

[WalleyeDave]

Call Troy Landry.

http://www.chootem.com/

 

http://www.chootem.com/Photos.html

[Cwing]

Gator in water close to a tee box did doubt bCk on us once. He was in water, swam out and then circled behind us. It was a little unnerving.

[AThompson_3]

I’ve never been more thankful to live in KY. We may not be able to play golf year round, but at least we don’t have snakes and gators to deal with.

[tommg]

Watched a gator take a fawn once on HH, nature is cool and not to be messed with.

[outgolfing]

I play occasionally at the course where this gator has gone viral. They say it’s 15 feet but I’m willing to bet it’s bigger. I’ve seen it in person only once but when it laid down on the green I was hitting into it was amazing to see just how massive it is.

[spetzle]

he just made another appearance recently up near parrish??

[sailfishchris]

I play occasionally at the course where this gator has gone viral. They say it's 15 feet but I'm willing to bet it's bigger. I've seen it in person only once but when it laid down on the green I was hitting into it was amazing to see just how massive it is.

Do they feed that guy all the leftovers from the clubhouse?!!! Holy schitt that's a big gator

[cardoustie]

Dunes GC in Sanibel FL had a 14 foot saltwater crocodile there for years .. a big boy

 

I can tell you that even driving a cart past it from 30 feet away is VERY unsettling

 

I've been attacked by fire ants twice on courses ... not fun. Vodka and a bucket of ice water helps

[outgolfing]

I play occasionally at the course where this gator has gone viral. They say it's 15 feet but I'm willing to bet it's bigger. I've seen it in person only once but when it laid down on the green I was hitting into it was amazing to see just how massive it is.

Do they feed that guy all the leftovers from the clubhouse?!!! Holy schitt that's a big gator

 

He actually lives in a large lake behind the course that is owned by the county. Biggest one I’ve ever seen. Watched him sun himself on a par 3’s green for 10 minutes in awe...he didn’t move so I skipped the hole. Thanked him for my par as I drove off.

[Superbrit]

My advice is be very carefull near water. And NEVER go digging around the woods for lost balls. The 5 foot rattlesnake came out of the woods across our tee box with out a care in the world. The gator was a nice one and you can see my ball tried to scare him into the water by inchig the golf cart towards him he didn't budge.dont know why the gator picture keeps uploading upside down but you get the idea. Both taken in Palm beach county Florida.

 

WTF!!!!

 

So glad i'm from the UK, biggest animal i will see is a friggin swan, if i'm on the course and i see either of them.. Usain Bolt wouldnt keep up with me!

[Superbrit]

I play occasionally at the course where this gator has gone viral. They say it's 15 feet but I'm willing to bet it's bigger. I've seen it in person only once but when it laid down on the green I was hitting into it was amazing to see just how massive it is.

 

Looks like something from lake placid!!

[third-times-a-charm]

This one is a resident on my course...see him a few times a month on #3 and #6. Not so much in the winter, though.

 

[markheardjr]

I look for signs of gators on the banks. Scariest thing I've seen was a 7footer near the bank with his nose/eyes above water. I was maybe 20 feet away and he backed up and swirled his front claws to stir up dirt in the water. If you walked up 20seconds after, you'd have zero idea there was a gator there.

 

Best advice is be cautious. Don't go reaching into unclear water or turn your back to it. Use a club to fish your ball out, but don't lean, if its that far in, just drop a new one. If you see a gator on the bank, its sun bathing and probably has no interest in you and will probably slip in if you get close. In spring, just don't, if its a mama she might turn on you. If theres babies, theres a mama.

 

I've only seen a few snakes. Black racers mostly, an orange/brown water snake and one eastern ribbon snake. Usually the snakes are sunning themselves on the cart path if you're the first group through the area in a while. I've also seen otters, turkeys, deer, armadillos, cranes, bald eagles, osprey, turtles, tortoises, bunnies and once a dolphin in the Indian river....