Golfer playing Naples course opts against hitting ball that landed on gator’s back

NAPLES, Fla. (WSVN) — In golf, there are holes-in-one, but at a Naples golf course earlier this week, there was a gator-in-one.

Golfer Greg Irving found himself in quite the predicament when his shot landed perfectly on the back of an alligator on Wednesday.

Irving thought he was playing it safe when he was swung his club at the TwinEagles golf community while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.

“[We] didn’t know why they were hollering, ’cause I knew the ball had bounced into the hazard, so I had no idea why they were so excited,” said Irving, “till I got up there and could see it was right in the middle of its back. I mean, I could have hardly placed it any more perfectly.”

“We were doubled over laughing and, you know, just something that you never expect to see,” said Pack.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the dangerous hazard it could have been. The gator remained calm and stayed still.

“That hazard is…,” said Pack.

“A bit dangerous,” said Irving.

“Yeah,” said Pack.

“With an alligator in there, it’s probably a double hazard,” said Irving.

“Yeah, certainly the water, certainly out of bounds, so you don’t want to be there. Let’s put it that way,” said Pack.

“I was happy to leave the ball where it was,” said Irving.

Irving would return to the course for another round the very next day, right near the gator’s favorite spot.

The reptile, meanwhile, was seen making ripples in the pond.

“A million people saying, you know, how funny it is and said, ‘Greg should have just played it as it lied,” said Pack.

“A lot of grief, I got a lot of grief,” said Irving, “but I’ll tell you what, it might be good luck, because I powered the next two holes.”

People who play at the TwinEagles golf community said that gator is still somewhere in the water, adding there is wildlife galore in the area, which is part of why they like to golf there.