The “play it where it lies” rule tends to not apply as strictly when golfing in Florida.
Given over 1 million alligators roam pretty much every single waterway in the Sunshine State, including water hazards on golf courses, a slightly errant shot can sometimes become completely unplayable if a nearby dinosaur decides to make its presence known.
Of course, we’ve seen examples of people risking it all to avoid taking a drop, like PGA pro Cam Champ and this unbelievably brave Florida Man who’s ball landed on top of the alligator, but there’s an endless number of reasons why that should not be the normal course of action.
But in case you want another reason to add to the list, let’s take a look at a video from just the other day in Naples, Florida.
We don’t have a ton of context for this video but during a tournament, some golfers were driving past a row of grass bushes when they saw one of the craziest sights you will ever see.
A large alligator was chomping down on an absolutely enormous rabbit. I’m talking this is one of the biggest bunnies you’ll ever see, which is probably what lead to this gator setting its sights on it in the first place.
I wish we were able to see the hunt. Rabbits are so fast and gators are quick but nearly in the same category as rabbits, especially on land, so it’s possible this guy was already dead or hurt badly before hand.
Regardless, once this gator got its jaws on the bunny, it was all over but the crying.
Naturally, the golfers were absolutely freaking out and trying to call their buddy over to see it. I don’t know what my reaction would have been but I’d say they did the smart thing by driving off as soon as the gator’s focus was no longer on eating; It certainly could have wanted something more substantial after that appetizer.
I lived in Florida for a few years and loved seeing gators everywhere, but this is a good reminder that they don’t just swim around and live on air. Those guys are munching all sorts of creatures all the time and luckily we got a chance to witness what that looks like here.
Stay safe down there, Floridians.
