That alligators are lovers of Florida golf courses is nothing new, but that a specimen of a considerable size can take over a green is another matter. That is what happened a few days ago at the Myakka Pines Golf Club course, in the town of Englewood, in the center of the state. The surprise and the scare that the two players who were playing the 7th hole were enormous when they saw a huge alligator emerge from one of the lakes adjacent to the course and headed decisively towards the green. Not content with that, the large reptile lay down near the ball.
One of the golfers, Bill Susie, took a photo with his phone of the alligator that “looked like a dinosaur,” and another, Dick Huber captured another moment of the reptile resting on the green, NBC News reported.
The images, posted on the club’s Facebook page, quickly went viral online. The reptile is of such an imposing size that some have questioned the authenticity of the photos.
Myakka Pines general manager Mickie Zada said the men who captured the reptile are older people who are not familiar with digital editing tools.
Zada believes the alligator was “only” about 13 feet long, or four meters, and claims it is not the largest alligator he has seen near the golf course. A nearly 15-foot (5-meter) one, nicknamed Big George, lived nearby for a decade before it died.
Myakka Pines has had no incidents with alligators or crocodiles for nearly 40 years. “We just tell people not to look for their golf balls around here,” Zada added.
The images became the best advertising campaign for the golf course, which has now received numerous applications for membership in the club.
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