Can you actually imagine trying to swing at the ball from the side in that direction? I have stood here for several minutes and cannot for the life of me figure out how it might have gone.
I’m guessing the ball would have gotten knocked loose. Although it must have been in there pretty good if the moss was able to catch and hold the falling golf ball in the first place.
Spanish moss hangs down in long stangled strands, so it would make sense to swing the club vertically like he did to get it up and between all of the strands. Hitting it sideways he would have hit all of the surrounding strands first, slowing the impact his club would have had on the ball - if he would have even be able to hit the ball. Probably just knocking the strand it was hung up on.
Maybe stand off to the side and reach way over with a vertical club and try to knock it out?
I’m guessing it probably isn’t worth it to try to invent a spanish-moss getter-outer club and haul around for 18 holes.
(Hmm - I can only imagine the rules related to golf club construction.)