244 replies to this topic

[Golfnole3]

I've seen a red fox, a baby gator, and today while I was using the restroom in the woods I saw this large hole; my dad has told me what a snake hole looks like so I got out of there as quickly as possible. I didn't see any snakes though...Thank goodness!

[station2station]

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[Kletus]

Played Caledonia in Pawley's Island, SC this past Sunday..... I was walking across the green to my ball and was watching a Fox Squirrel that was pretty much pacing me across the green as well.   I got to my ball and looked up and I was standing about 10 feet away from an 8 foot gator that was sunning himself on the green.  He didn't seem worried that I was there, but needless to say.. I didn't take my time lining up my 30 foot put.

[NoPro]

First ...this is a pretty good thread..because it brings attention to things we should all be careful of and probably take for granted.
Especially regarding snakes. I spend my share of time in the rough and have looked for my ball with no real thought to unseen dangers. That is until a few weeks ago when I was seaching for my second on a par 5 that went in the direction of a rather large cluster of Palmetto's ...after looking all around I used my club to raise one ofr the palms in order to see inside the cluster ...and low and behold was the biggest diamond back copper headed rattle moccasin I' had ever seen. As you can see ..I didn't stick around for introductions ...Needless to say ...I'm not looking INTO bushes any more ..

[tjumper78]

at great gorge gc in nj, i saw a deer following a turkey around.  the turkey was not running away, and the deer was not bothering the turkey either.  they were just hanging out together like good friends.  they were like that while my friends and i were putting, and they went away slowy, together of course.  

at overpeck gc in nj, i was playing with an old couple who were riding a gas cart.  after we hit our shots on a par 3, i was walking towards the green and saw a hawk with a live squirrel in its claws.   it must have thought that the gas cart was something trying to take his prize away.  it flew straight into the gast cart.  luckily, the old couple had the protection glass up, and the hawk just rammed into the plastic glass.  BAM!! then fell to the ground, flew away a few seconds away.  the old couple were pretty shocked and went home after that.

[Swingie]

tjumper78, on 08 November 2011 - 10:23 AM, said:

at great gorge gc in nj, i saw a deer following a turkey around.  the turkey was not running away, and the deer was not bothering the turkey either.  they were just hanging out together like good friends.  they were like that while my friends and i were putting, and they went away slowy, together of course.  

at overpeck gc in nj, i was playing with an old couple who were riding a gas cart.  after we hit our shots on a par 3, i was walking towards the green and saw a hawk with a live squirrel in its claws.   it must have thought that the gas cart was something trying to take his prize away.  it flew straight into the gast cart.  luckily, the old couple had the protection glass up, and the hawk just rammed into the plastic glass.  BAM!! then fell to the ground, flew away a few seconds away.  the old couple were pretty shocked and went home after that.

LOL! Old people cant take a little hawk in the face during a round??(lol JK)

I hit my aaproach short left of the green near water into some ankle high grass not 10 feet off the green. I dont think anything of it and go to find the ball and chip up...as Im taking my third step into the lusch green grass 2 HUGE black water micasins slitehr right by my feet as I disrupted their sunning...I jumped 48 inches straight up and coulda dunked on Shaq and Olojuwan right then(with a well thrown oop). My heart was hammering as I wonderd how my life coulda changed if I got bit...

[BTooth]

Medic, on 04 November 2011 - 07:31 PM, said:

One_Putt_Blunder, on 04 November 2011 - 06:38 PM, said:

I had a Coyote take a dump on my ball once right in the middle of the fairway and in plain sight of us driving from the tee box. That one was memorable, we were not sure of the ruling on that, as I sure as hell wasnt going to clean it up and play it, we agreed to a free drop for me. We now call that tee dropping the duece, which fits because it is a severly elevated tee shot.

Thanks for the laugh! I cannot even imagine seeing that unfolding.

But isn't it supposed to be good luck? How was the rest of your round?

I had a fox do the exact same thing.  We saw it from the teebox, and thought it was peeing on the ball.  We went with lose impediments!

[tElihu]

Swingie, on 08 November 2011 - 11:36 AM, said:

...

I hit my aaproach short left of the green near water into some ankle high grass not 10 feet off the green. I dont think anything of it and go to find the ball and chip up...as Im taking my third step into the lusch green grass 2 HUGE black water micasins slitehr right by my feet as I disrupted their sunning...I jumped 48 inches straight up and coulda dunked on Shaq and Olojuwan right then(with a well thrown oop). My heart was hammering as I wonderd how my life coulda changed if I got bit...

Exactly why I never go into the rough or go looking for a ball without a club in hand.

[jercra]

jabrch, on 05 November 2011 - 02:21 AM, said:

croc2.jpg Croc1.jpg

KYMAR - no pics?  :-)

Ran into this guy a few feet from my ball at Playa Mujeres in Cancun.  Needless to say, I took a free drop and considered it unsafe to play my ball...

Wait, what?  I was down there for a week in April and had no idea that there were Crocodylia.  Was that thing crawling into a creek or into the ocean?


I've seen wild boar at the Boulders in Surprise, Az.  At my course in Portland, in the spring, there are about 5 straight holes that where you can't quite place the buzzing sound.    It comes from every tree and every bunker and it's millions of bees.  In Oregon we also get lots of giant banana slugs.  Doesn't sound like much but they it's amazing every time I see a 10 inch slug on the cart path. Otherwise it's your regular deer, snakes, birds, etc.

[jercra]

jabrch, on 05 November 2011 - 02:21 AM, said:

croc2.jpg Croc1.jpg

KYMAR - no pics?  :-)

Ran into this guy a few feet from my ball at Playa Mujeres in Cancun.  Needless to say, I took a free drop and considered it unsafe to play my ball...

Wait, what?  I was down there for a week in April and had no idea that there were Crocodylia.  Was that thing crawling into a creek or into the ocean?


I've seen wild boar at the Boulders in Surprise, Az.  At my course in Portland, in the spring, there are about 5 straight holes that where you can't quite place the buzzing sound.    It comes from every tree and every bunker and it's millions of bees.  In Oregon we also get lots of giant banana slugs.  Doesn't sound like much but they it's amazing every time I see a 10 inch slug on the cart path. Otherwise it's your regular deer, snakes, birds, etc.

[Golf Dawg]

Was playing with my buddy at the local muni about a month ago.  As we were driving up to the tee box, I saw a deer nearby, and while it was cool, seeing a deer isn't exactly rare up in my parts.  Well, turns out this deer was a little too accustomed to people, since we found out the people living on the edge of the course fed it until it got too big to keep.  The deer was just a little ornery, the rut was in the early stages, and it had two SHARP spikes.  It stalked and chased us around the course for probably 30 minutes.  Probably not the manliest thing to be running from a baby deer, but I wasn't about to take a spike antler to the chest for no reason.  I could see the evil in his eyes!

Edited by Golf Dawg, 08 November 2011 - 08:52 PM.

[BigCedar]

Personally I've seen a moose at a course near Jackson Hole, WY, a fox that lives at our local course, gators in SC, and of course plenty of snakes around assorted courses here in KS.  But, the best was my 16 yo son this year.  It was his first day as a cart boy at the local club.  It was his first job and he was nervous already.  He was out hand picking balls on the side of the range when a hawk swooped down and grabbed his hat.  He was scared shitless.  Ran back to the cart barn, grabbed the picker cart and went back out.  Never did tell his boss (asst. pro) and took him a month or two before he told me the story.  No one saw it, but I wish I would have.

[ChrisCYWG]

Lots of deer up here in Canada... Canada geese all over the course come fall (they make a MESS) the entire course just turns into a goose turd.. its kinda gross... Red fox, saw a black bear once... all the usual small animals (rabbit etc)
And the scariest is the cougars.... and we're not talking the 4 legged furry ones.....

jabrch, on 05 November 2011 - 02:21 AM, said:

croc2.jpg Croc1.jpg

KYMAR - no pics?  :-)

Ran into this guy a few feet from my ball at Playa Mujeres in Cancun.  Needless to say, I took a free drop and considered it unsafe to play my ball...

[andemw01]

First time ever golfing six years ago.  Buddy took me to public golf course to try golf with my first set of clubs.  11th hole, and first time I finally hit a straight drive in the fairway, a squirrell comes running out of tree, and goes after my ball.  At first it just is knocking it around and as we walk up to shoo him away, he finally grabs a hold of it with his teeth and runs up a tree with it.  After about five minutes waiting to see if he would drop it, I gave up and took another penalty drop.  lol.

[Feddyvon]

Can't believe I'm the first guy to bring up an Armadillo sighting.  We've seen them a few different times here in Kansas, and they usually just mope along and don't take much notice.  

Plenty of deer, turkey, pheasant sitings as well, but no real interuption of play type events.

I did have a rattlesnake encounter while playing in Texas.  Hit a ball towards a rocky dam on the side of the fairway, got about 5 feet away from the rocks and heard the rattle start going crazy, and pretty loud.  Never saw him, but I've never been happier to take a penalty shot in my life.

[TigaTigaWoodsYall]

My dad encountered an snapping turtle last weekend that resembled a small coffee table. Kids were messing with it and were about to hit balls at its face before he intervened

[NoPro]

After hitting a tee shot, my eye captued the site of a LARGE white bird  just soring around. I was so mezmorized by the sight of it and that it wasn't flapping it's wings at all, just gliding in thermals i guess. The guys in the group thought I was over doing a pose after a drive ....  ( they saw they drive and didn't understand why ) anyway . I later looked it up and it was an American Swallow Tail Kite.  magnificent bird !!

http://www.spruance....d-Kite-4510.htm

[broth518]

When I was in South Africa I was lucky enough to play Leopard Creek golf course and on the other side of the 12th or 13th hole there were about 20 elephants and hippos hanging out watching me putt. There is a resident leopard that lives on the golf course but thankfully he decided to stay in for the day when I played.

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[Arsey51]

Played several times at the Fort Wainwright course on the Army Post in Fairbanks Alaska while stationed there.  On the long straight par-5 on the back 9, there was a Raven with a nest in one of the trees lining the fairway that would swoop down and steal your ball.  Happened almost every time I played there.  The nest and the base of the tree where it nested were riddled with golf balls.  Sign in the clubhouse recommended replacing the ball at the closest approximation to its original location (before being stolen by the bird), or replaying the shot from the previous location (which was usually the tee box).

Accosting the Raven or its nest to try and retrieve your ball was not allowed as they are a protected species.

[NoPro]

Splitter, on 06 November 2011 - 07:41 PM, said:

Well, since we're showing snake pics..

Pulled this baby off the green last spring.  I think he gave himself a concussion and chipped a tooth on the putter before I got him rounded up.

snake.jpg

That is probably the best reason for converting to a Belly Putter I could imagine !!!

[Prof3ssor]

I had my share of holes being temporally closed due to black bears.  One particular course I play here in NJ has several regulars that spend quite a bit of time on the first couple of holes.

[tesuquegolfer]

Roadrunners here in NM, which are cool if you haven't seen them before.  I have seen elk, deer, rattle snakes, bull snakes, coyotes (however none have taken a sh#t on my ball), cottontails, jack rabbits, and hawks.  I have had my food stolen by squirrels, and mongoose in Hawaii - little bastards!  We don't go out in the desert too much in the summer for fear of rattle snakes, we play the desert as a lateral hazard.

[Stretch]

broth518, on 09 November 2011 - 12:31 PM, said:

When I was in South Africa I was lucky enough to play Leopard Creek golf course and on the other side of the 12th or 13th hole there were about 20 elephants and hippos hanging out watching me putt. There is a resident leopard that lives on the golf course but thankfully he decided to stay in for the day when I played.

That is one awesome course!

Did you play at Hans Merensky while you were up in the area? That place has some wildlife. The 15th hole is called "Leopard Kill" because a few years ago some of the lady members were teeing off and one felt something dripping on her head. Wiped her hand across her hat and realized it was blood. Looked up to find a leopard chilling on an overhanging branch with its lunch -- a very-recently-deceased impala.

Very sadly, another woman was actually stomped to death by a bull elephant on the 16th green there back in 1998. Those big boys should always be allowed to play through!

[havoc01]

since i lived all over the world and have seen many things on a golf course

the best is

the monkeys in the philipines would run out into the fairway and steal your ball

[havoc01]

Arsey51, on 09 November 2011 - 12:51 PM, said:

Played several times at the Fort Wainwright course on the Army Post in Fairbanks Alaska while stationed there.  On the long straight par-5 on the back 9, there was a Raven with a nest in one of the trees lining the fairway that would swoop down and steal your ball.  Happened almost every time I played there.  The nest and the base of the tree where it nested were riddled with golf balls.  Sign in the clubhouse recommended replacing the ball at the closest approximation to its original location (before being stolen by the bird), or replaying the shot from the previous location (which was usually the tee box).

Accosting the Raven or its nest to try and retrieve your ball was not allowed as they are a protected species.

ive played that course many times

my wife worked at DPW and i worked for housing

how about the fox that would steal your ball and take it to his den i think it was on hole 5 or 6

[bosoxfan]

I've a couple to share, was playing a course in Arizona called Vistosa, came to typical dessert par 3, tee box, lots of dessert and bunkered green.  While we're making club decisions, a mountain lion, yea, mountain lion, came out of the dessert on side of the green, walked across the green and through the bunkers (all cats need a sand box I suppose) and back in to the dessert on the other side.  We went ahead and played the hold, with caution, but I will never forget it.

Was playing in W. Layfayette, IN, we on the green and hear this shrill screaming sound, heard it 2-3 times and then located this little rabbit on the edge of the high rough.  He would scream, lunge out of the weeds and then something would pull him back toward the weeds.  We checked it out and a little weasel had ahold of the little dudes legs.  My buddy reached out with his iron and tapped the weasel on the legs and he let go, the rabbit took off like a bullet, the weasel popped out of the weeds with that "what the heck just happened here" look on his face and then he bolted off back to wherever weasels go.  Pretty funny.
KH

[Whats-it-too-ya]

Took this pic in 2002 of "Buddy" ... the local Course Marshall .... Mt. Kidd, Kananaskis, Alberta. This is one big guy you don't want to mess with on the course!


 Picture1.jpg   76.16K   20 downloads

[Splitter]

Stretch, on 09 November 2011 - 03:12 PM, said:

broth518, on 09 November 2011 - 12:31 PM, said:

When I was in South Africa I was lucky enough to play Leopard Creek golf course and on the other side of the 12th or 13th hole there were about 20 elephants and hippos hanging out watching me putt. There is a resident leopard that lives on the golf course but thankfully he decided to stay in for the day when I played.

That is one awesome course!

Did you play at Hans Merensky while you were up in the area? That place has some wildlife. The 15th hole is called "Leopard Kill" because a few years ago some of the lady members were teeing off and one felt something dripping on her head. Wiped her hand across her hat and realized it was blood. Looked up to find a leopard chilling on an overhanging branch with its lunch -- a very-recently-deceased impala.

Very sadly, another woman was actually stomped to death by a bull elephant on the 16th green there back in 1998. Those big boys should always be allowed to play through!

That is an exceptionally cool picture.  I don't suppose you have it in a larger size?  Would love to use it as my desktop background.

BTW..  Do you guys get to wear metal spikes on a course like that?  I can't imagine they'd do more harm that 2 ton wildlife.

[Arsey51]

havoc01, on 09 November 2011 - 03:23 PM, said:

Arsey51, on 09 November 2011 - 12:51 PM, said:

Played several times at the Fort Wainwright course on the Army Post in Fairbanks Alaska while stationed there.  On the long straight par-5 on the back 9, there was a Raven with a nest in one of the trees lining the fairway that would swoop down and steal your ball.  Happened almost every time I played there.  The nest and the base of the tree where it nested were riddled with golf balls.  Sign in the clubhouse recommended replacing the ball at the closest approximation to its original location (before being stolen by the bird), or replaying the shot from the previous location (which was usually the tee box).

Accosting the Raven or its nest to try and retrieve your ball was not allowed as they are a protected species.

ive played that course many times

my wife worked at DPW and i worked for housing

how about the fox that would steal your ball and take it to his den i think it was on hole 5 or 6

I never had the pleasure of that one, though I do recall foxes and the occasional MOOSE being on the course.

[Llortamaisey]

I used to be afraid of cougars but now I'm terrified of nittany lions, especially in the shower.