In the world of golf, holes-in-one are every player's dream. However, at a golf course in Naples this week, what happened was more of a "gator-in-one."
Golfer Greg Irving had an unusual experience when his shot landed perfectly on the back of a crocodile last Wednesday. Irving was playing at the TwinEagles golf community with his friend Joe Pack when the singular event took place.
“At first, we didn’t understand why they were shouting, because I knew the ball had landed in the danger zone,” Irving explained to 7 News Miami. “But when we got closer, we saw it was right in the center of his back. He couldn’t have placed it better even if he tried.”
The scene prompted laughter among those present. "It was something you never expect to see," Pack remarked with a chuckle.
Fortunately, the crocodile remained calm and did not react, although both golfers joked about how dangerous the situation was. "That place is already a hazard because of the water, but with a crocodile, it becomes a double danger," Irving added.
The golfer decided not to retrieve his ball and let the crocodile keep it. Surprisingly, Irving returned to the same spot the next day for another round of golf, encountering the reptile again, now moving calmly in the nearby water.
The peculiar moment has gone viral, with many people suggesting that Irving should have played the ball as it lay. "I received a lot of comments and jokes, but maybe it's good luck, because I made par on the next two holes," Irving said.
Visitors to the TwinEagles course report that spotting crocodiles is a common occurrence in the area, adding a wild touch to their golfing experience.
In Florida, it is common to see images of alligators wandering through the most unexpected places, from avenues to private pools. However, it is less common to capture the moment they feed— that instant when, being carnivores, they devour an animal from their surroundings.
A recent viral video captured a golfer driving his cart at The Quarry Golf Club in Naples, Collier County, as an alligator swallowed a bunny almost whole.
"Driving to the next hole... and this happens," wrote the witness of the scene on Instagram.
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