Next time you hit the golf course, take a moment to check the cup before you retrieve your putt. Although you likely won’t find a creature hiding at the bottom, it’s not totally out of the question. Recently, a group of Australian golfers learned this lesson the hard way after they found a venomous, four-foot red-bellied black snake lurking at the bottom of the pin on the second green at The Coast Golf and Recreation Club on the southern Sydney coastline.
According to a spokesperson from the golf club, the sneaky snake eventually came out of the hole without any human intervention, but only after golfers took their own videos and photos of the snake stow away.
The Coast Golf Club explained the slithering situation via Instagram: “Everyone needs a break from the heat, even the wildlife. This little fella was found by our Ladies taking refuge in the hole on the 2nd green today.
They continued: “The 4ft red belly black hung around and watched a few groups come through before moving on. All golfers were happy to take the two putts offered to them and move on.”
Red-bellied black snakes are highly poisonous and comprise of 16 percent of all incidents involving snake bites in Australia. However, like most animals, they usually won’t attack unless they feel provoked.
Snake appears at Australian golf course, but it’s far from the first time
In addition, officials have no recorded deaths in Australia from this animal. The snake species is also indigenous to Australia, and sightings are not uncommon.
The Australian Museum states that the snakes “will generally only deliver a serious bite under severe molestation.”
If someone is bitten, they can face severe illness and suffer symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain, and other stomach issues. Additionally, some victims require hospitalization, but fatalities are extremely rare.
After the photos went up online, it didn’t take long to go viral.
“And this is why I live where it’s cold. I don’t mind golf sims for the winter hahaha. I prefer to finish my round than land in the hospital or in the ground,” one user wrote in the comments. Another added: “Finally a decent excuse for missing short.”
“I bet he’s swallowed a golf ball before! … thought it was an egg?” asked another.” However, this isn’t the first time a snake has unexpectedly appeared on a Down Under golf course.
For instance, Comedian Andy Lee recently came face-to-face with a “huge” tiger snake in a bunker at the Barnbougle Lost Farms Golf Course in Tasmania while playing a round with friends.
“People say bunker shots are daunting… have they tried playing them in Australia,” Lee captioned a video of the experience.
