A huge alligator spotted on the golf course at the Myakka Pines Golf Club in Englewood, Florida, hasn’t deterred golfers.
The 12- or 13-foot gator lounged in full view of about 100 participants of a recent women’s tournament.
“If we stopped playing because of alligators,
we’d never have golfers,” general manager Mickie Zada told Reuters.
Zada said photos of the alligator that were posted on the club’s Facebook on Friday and quickly went viral weren’t altered.
A second member of the club took a picture, which was posted the next day.
Zada told ESPN that the presence of alligators on the course is a marketing tool for the club.
"If it's really cold you might not see one, but if there's any sunshine at all, it would be impossible for you to play 18 and not see a gator," she said.
The golf course, which hasn’t had any incidents involving gators in its 37-year history, previously was home to a 15-foot gator nicknamed Big George.
The pictures have gotten more than half a million views and drawn attention from media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
“We could not pay for this kind of exposure,” the club said on its Facebook page.
Twitter users seemed creeped out by the sight.
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