Now that's a hazard! South Carolina golfer's ball lands on alligator's back

WLOS ^ | Wednesday, April 7th 2021 | Drew Tripp

[Rebelbase]

OKATIE, SC (WCIV) — Some golfers take twisted pleasure in playing their ball "as it lies" after errant shots on the course, sometimes resorting to bizarre and improbable escape shot attempts rather than accepting a stroke penalty.

We'd hope most would draw the line at alligators. A South Carolina man made the wise choice after he found himself dealing with an amazingly bad lie this week.

In something almost out of Happy Gilmore, golfer David Ksieniewicz said his ball came to a rest neatly atop the back of a roughly 7-foot alligator while playing a round at Okatie's Spring Island Club on Monday.

Fortunately, the official U.S. Golf Association rules account for such a thing in what it calls "abnormal course conditions." That allows players to take "relief" by moving their ball or dropping a new ball in a safe and reasonable location for their next shot without assessing a stroke penalty.

Rule 16.2(a) specifies "dangerous animals" qualify for such relief if their presence near a ball "could cause serious physical injury to the player if he or she had to play the ball as it lies."

[Rebelbase]

Chubbs unavailable for comment...

[Rebelbase]

This is an excerpt.

[Rebelbase]

"PLAY IT!!!"

[HombreSecreto]

Fact is stranger than fiction...

[ryderann]

S.O.B. is grinning....just waiting for you to come get your ball.

[stars & stripes forever]

What are the odds this guy have taken the shot?

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

The course was angry that my friends - like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

[Dutch Boy]

Get the gator to walk closer to the green.

[nesnah]

https://youtu.be/i_oTG_IqM14

[Bonemaker]

Try not make a divot!

[Bonemaker]

Take the penalty...drop a new ball!

[who knows what evil?]

L8R.

[bgill]

Where it lies or be a wimp and take a mulligan.

[OneVike]

Fortunately, the official U.S. Golf Association rules account for such a thing in what it calls "abnormal course conditions." That allows players to take "relief" by moving their ball or dropping a new ball in a safe and reasonable location for their next shot without assessing a stroke penalty.

That's cheating. You never would have seen such rules in the old days. The golfers were man enough to take on for the team if need be. Next thing you know we will be seeing golfers laying down on their stomachs in protest for the Alligators rights to be part of the game.

[gnarledmaw]

We had a golf course on Keesler (Biloxi). It was a stupid waste of space really. Nobody could use it because it was covered in alligators and going out there was harassing them. Of course, I think they were endangered or threatened back then so maybe thats changed.

[upchuck]

South Carolina Ping   

If you'd like to be on or off the South Carolina ping list, just click Private Reply below and drop me a FReepmail.