Wildlife Seen on the Golf Course.

[J.D.]

Last week, saw a five foot alligator sunning itself by the pond on 1st tee. I scooted up close to get a pic iwht my cell phone camera but it shot into the water.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by J.D.

Last week, saw a five foot alligator sunning itself by the pond on 1st tee. I scooted up close to get a pic iwht my cell phone camera but it shot into the water.

Yeah, the little ones are skittish!

[HackBlack]

Back in '01 or '02 myself, my dad and my 2 brothers took a 3 day trip to the Four Corners region of New Mexico. We stayed in Farmington, NM and played Pinon Hills (Top 100 Public). They have a "pet" fox that roams the course. The next day we drove to Monticello, UT and played The Hideout. We honestly saw more deer on this course than golfers.
The below is another golfers review of this course:
Hidden Gems The Hideout Golf Course Monticello Utah pictures from golf photos on webshots

One of the golf mag's profiled The Hideout several years ago. After reading it, we decided to make the trip. We had always known about Pinon Hills because we lived in NM. Farmington, NM is also home to Navajo Lake, which has great lake fishing as well as "Quality Waters" under the dam, on the San Juan River. A flyfishers dream. Rainbow trout galore. You will see 18-24" trout swim by your legs.

[Johneli]

I've told this story before, but it bears repeating here because it's so lame on my part. Most of the courses down here have canals running along side of many holes because of drainage from the deluges we get here. So I hit my ball on the downslope leading into a canal and saw what I thought was an old tire laying in the water. It was a furtive glance (MISTAKE!) and I proceded down the bank to hit my ball. All of a sudden I heard a wild thrashing sound and the "tire" came to life as an eight foot gator! Thank God I had spikes on and was able to get purchase on the bank; otherwise I would have stood there "burning rubber" with street shoes on. The gator had actually headed the other way, but the thrashing scared me so badly that I had to sit down for a few minutes to quiet a heart rate of 500! From that point forward I approach ANY water in Florida very cautiously. (These gators routinely grab dogs and drag them into the canal!) Anyway, it's not only the golf you have to worry about when playing in Florida.

[C-Tech]

Originally Posted by Johneli

I've told this story before, but it bears repeating here because it's so lame on my part. Most of the courses down here have canals running along side of many holes because of drainage from the deluges we get here. So I hit my ball on the downslope leading into a canal and saw what I thought was an old tire laying in the water. It was a furtive glance (MISTAKE!) and I proceded down the bank to hit my ball. All of a sudden I heard a wild thrashing sound and the "tire" came to life as an eight foot gator! Thank God I had spikes on and was able to get purchase on the bank; otherwise I would have stood there "burning rubber" with street shoes on. The gator had actually headed the other way, but the thrashing scared me so badly that I had to sit down for a few minutes to quiet a heart rate of 500! From that point forward I approach ANY water in Florida very cautiously. (These gators routinely grab dogs and drag them into the canal!) Anyway, it's not only the golf you have to worry about when playing in Florida.

A friend of mine lived beside one of those canals and his 5 yr old son came to the back door and told him through the screen that "Sissy" (his 4 yr old sister) was looking at a snake in the yard. my buddy figured it was a garter snake, etc. He walked around the corner of the house to be confronted with a 5ft rattler slowly crawling across the yard as his daughter crouched over it. He about had a heart attack. Fortunately, he got her away and dispatched the snake without anything terrible happening. Scary though, just like your gator encounter.

[Pistol]

I played Little River at Pinehurst and a Grey Fox came up to the tee box and the little dude wouldn't leave. He sayed beside the box the whole time we tee off.

[arroyotrabuco]

La Iguana, Costa Rica: Monkeys, Iguanas, Weird Monkey/Fox type of animal.
Locally, in SoCal: Red Hawk, Deer, Coyote. No cougars or rattlers, yet.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by arroyotrabuco

No cougars or rattlers, yet.

What, no senior women's leagues?

[C-Tech]

Played in a scramble at Arizona National today. Same place where I saw the Bobcat last Sunday. I didn't see the bobcat this time, but while eating lunch, a guy at the next table started telling a story about watching a bobcat take down a rabbit while they were teeing off.... Turns out it was the same hole... I suspect it was the same bobcat.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by arroyotrabuco

... Weird Monkey/Fox type of animal.

Like these guys?



They're called coatamundis.

[essurfer]

Not on the golf course but. This morning my dog was going nuts barking out the window. I started to yell at her but when I looked out there was a deer on my deck and three more in my yard. I dont live in the country so to speak so this was a most unusual occurance and oh yea, I apologized to the pup!

[TwillDog]

I don't take the birds much into account unless it's some sort of raptor - bird of prey. South Louisiana, especially in winter, has an abundance of fowl.
When I lived in Mexico, I used to see iguanas everywhere - saw one for the first time in a long time in the wild down in south Florida. Also used to see lots of crocodiles.
Here, I see mostly tame things - rabbits, ducks, geese, an occasional swan. Then a few things you don't care to haphazardly cross - gators and snakes. Most snakes of the tame variety, but occasionally a moccasin will show up.
I was playing at the New Orleans Bayou Oaks complex (City Park) paired with a couple from up north (Michigan, I believe). I hit a tee shot right along the shoreline of a lagoon that hit ground and bounced either in or close to in. As we went up to the ball (they were in a cart, I walked), the lady said I think it went in over here by this log. From a distance, I yelled at her "Forget about it; it's in and that's not a log!" They got a little closer than they'd have liked to a 7 foot gator.

[spankwhitey]

I've seen Coyotes on several courses around Denver. Of course there are the usual Foxes, Herons, Cormorants, Hawks, Turtles, Snakes. Two years ago I saw two big Deer running down the 14th fairway at a local course.

On the western slope of Colorado there is a course called Redlands Mesa. I saw several little Iguanas that have turquoise colored heads.

I play down in Florida a couple of times a year and the first time I saw a gator was when I went to look for my ball that landed by a pond. I saw a little baby gator swimming by the shore, as I moved closer to get a better look I saw a very large shadow moving towards the surface. It was the mother gator and I backed off as fast as I could. I do not look for balls in Florida anymore I'll just drop a ball and take a penalty stroke.

[C-Tech]

Originally Posted by GolfSavage

Like these guys?



They're called coatamundis.

Someone told me we have coatamundis in Arizona?? Anyone know if that is true?

Also, one of my employees lives near Arizona National and he had a cougar in his back yard a few months ago. I'm not sure a cart will run fast enough to get me out of there if I see one.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by C-Tech

Someone told me we have coatamundis in Arizona?? Anyone know if that is true?

Also, one of my employees lives near Arizona National and he had a cougar in his back yard a few months ago. I'm not sure a cart will run fast enough to get me out of there if I see one.

They use to have some Arizona coati's at the Sonoran Desert Museum when we lived in Tucson back in the mid 70s. We also caught a glimpse of what we think were coati's when visiting the I'm not sure how widespread they are or what the population may be, but they're considered a native species in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

[C-Tech]

Originally Posted by GolfSavage

They use to have some Arizona coati's at the Sonoran Desert Museum when we lived in Tucson back in the mid 70s. We also caught a glimpse of what we think were coati's when visiting the I'm not sure how widespread they are or what the population may be, but they're considered a native species in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Thanks for the info... I never know when they are pulling my leg out here...

[LockStock666]

Firstly I must set the mood otherwise the wildlife a saw will see pretty tame compared to monkeys and 'gators!

I played a beautiful course yesterday. It was designed in 1929, and is situated along an old Roman road in Southern/Central England, only 20 drive from my apartment in the town centre.

The course was very hilly, after ten holes my friend and I were tired walking and lugging non-motorised trolleys up and down very steep and high hills!

We were lucky enough to pay twilight rates, a mere £10, (normal weekday rate is £30) teeing off at 6.05 pm, and completed the 18 in 3 hours 10 minutes with nobody in front of us. What a fantastic way to play.

The thing I enjoyed most about the course apart from the stunning views of the surrounding farms and countryside, was the wildlife.

I saw a Kestrel (small bird of prey) hovering so gracefully over some heavy rough and take a precise swoop down to catch a field mouse. I spotted a deer in the adjoining field curiously looking right at me. Then there were plenty of small rabbits, and two or three Hares darting in and out of the rough and pheasant and a Grouse (Game birds) running cheekily along the paths towards the tees.

I have always liked animals an was impressed that you can run a prime golf course where timid wildlife is happy to take residence.

[C-Tech]

Last weekend, I saw the falcon again at the Randolph/Dell Urich complex. These courses are in the middle of town, so I was surprised to see one. This one happened to be sitting on a bridge rail facing east. On the western edge of the bridge, two squirrels were playing. I thought they must have a death wish...

[xnavyct]

Here in Indiana, just your usual squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, possums, deer.....

[JimSomebody]

Today I saw a couple of hawks, a snowy egret (feasting on small fish in a greenside pond), and some killdeer.

[alf174]

Tonight two female mallards were sitting on and rotating with their bills a ball I hit close to a stream. They hardly gave me any notice when I walked up to hit it.

[C-Tech]

I played this morning with a lady and her son at Starr Pass CC. On one of the holes, she pointed out the area where a Gila Monster lived. She said she had seen it on several occasions, but gave it wide berth. She was a nurse and working the trauma center when a guy came in after being bitten by one. She said they pumped 20 vials of anti-venom into him before it was over. She said it was touch and go for quite a while and he was very ill.

I looked for him, just to get a look, but didn't see him. Maybe tomorrow, I already got a tee time.