Giant alligator sneaks up on golfers, lumbers across links, plops down near 17th hole

WATCH: Giant Gator Sneaks up on Golfers, Plops Down Near 17th Hole

A giant 9-foot alligator surprised golfers Sunday at a course in Savannah, Georgia, when it suddenly appeared out of nearby brush and lumbered across the links.

The reptile stopped the game at the Savannah Harbor Club on Hutchinson Island as stunned players gawked and gave the gator plenty of room.

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One of the golfers captured the encounter on video, including the moment the creature decided to take a rest at the 17th hole.

Savannah resident Ed Vance told IslandPacket.com he was getting ready to take a shot onto the 17th green when he heard a loud noise from nearby brush.

“We all looked at each other and were asking, ‘What is that noise?’” Vance said. “At first, I thought it was the maintenance crew on the other side of the brush cutting it back or something.”

Then, a huge alligator ambled onto the course, heading for a pond just beyond the 17th hole.

Vance said the reptile was so enormous, the sound of its feet hitting the course could be heard as it moved.

“I will always remember the sound of his feet when he was walking on the green,” Vance said. “The video doesn’t pick it up, but the ‘thud, thud, thud’ sound was what you would think a dinosaur sounds like. It was surreal.”

After taking a quick pitstop on the links, the gator made its way to the pond and slithered in.

The golf club isn’t too far from a wildlife refuge, so residents in the area are accustomed to seeing alligators and other wild animals, but Vance said he never expected such a giant gator to suddenly interrupt his golf game and he won’t soon forget it.

A giant alligator, similar to this one, surprised golfers at a club in Savannah, Georgia, Sunday when it suddenly appeared on the green and lumbered across the course to a nearby pond.

Credit: Pixabay

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Credit: Pixabay