Alligator Does Golfer A Huge Favor

In the recent months, there has been some wild animal interactions on the golf course, I blogged in January about a Giant Crab ruining a golfer's round in Australia  , and now the most recent story involves an alligator taking a ball right off the green. 

A couple of golfers in Florida unexpectedly encountered a real-life version of Gator Golf over the holiday weekend ... when an alligator straight-up snagged one of their balls on the green -- and then waddled off with it!

The cool (and scary!) moment was captured on video on Sunday ... when Mark Harb and some of his buddies were playing a round at the Ormond Beach golf club.

I am not a good golfer by any means. Breaking 100 is a good day. It's also hard for me to find time to play consistently or put in the work to get better. I do take pride in not ruining anyone's round. Don't play super slow, pick up if you have to. Don't break clubs. Don't scream etc. I stink anyway, why would I get super bent out of shape and ruin the fun time with my friends. I am at a point now where I hit a few good drives, maybe make a few putts and have a few laughs etc. My main goal in golf now is to get 3 ringers and try and win scramble outings. I already lined up 3 for this summer. 

Now as far as this video, I'm sure the huge takeaway here is to make the Happy Gilmore / Chubbs joke. Which I get. Happy Gilmore is a top 3 golf movie of all time, and was back when Sandler was funny, so it makes sense. I however have a different take.

As a shitty golfer like I mentioned, I think this alligator deserves praise here. Hear me out, imagine you are walking up to the green after a good shot (a rarity in my case) and you see you are about 10-15 feet from the cup.  Let's say that is one of your good holes of the day and it's for par, or bogey (a win in my book). You likely start to go worst case scenario in your head, "Ok how am I going to fuck this up?" or " My first putt is for par, even if I three putt this and take a double- I can live with that." As you are doing those scenarios in your head, you look up and see an alligator making it's way off the green with your ball. You could do what this guy does and take a video and picture (he did get a little too close for my liking.)  I would say most people would do that, as you will need the proof for the story.  It's what you do next that is where the important choice lies. 

Do you put the ball down where you estimate it was and putt from there ? Or do you say "this was such a wacky scenario, it's God's way of saying he didn't want me to take this putt, score it as a gimme, and move on." As a 100 on a good day golfer, I am without a shadow of a doubt, marking that putt as a make and walking to my cart. Shame me all you want, but a fucking alligator takes my ball ? And I suck as it is… It's a gimme folks. Congrats on the putt. Don't even think about it. 

I am sure however someone will have a problem with that so I will be releasing a poll to weigh in. 

Do you putt it out or take the gimme ? 

I am interested to see where everyone lies in this debate.

Hit em straight, 

Rico Bo$co 

PS- obligatory Happy Gilmore scene