There Are Those Who Don’t Use Common Sense And Require Vigilance

Chances are that any of us who have played golf in the southern United States have seen some good-sized alligators sunning themselves and since you’re reading this, we can only assume you had the good sense to steer clear of them.

Or maybe not.

There are those who are apparently devoid of common sense who walk away unscathed after tempting the fates, which should ring the alarm bells for golf operators about the importance of vigilance.

One guy at the Fripp Island Gollf and Beach Resort in South Carolina grabbed hold of a monster gator’s tail recently while others around him snapped photos. Thankfully, there were no injuries, just a strongly worded message from the resort on its Facebook page, along with a photo of the incident.

“Fripp Island Resort would like to remind all of our residents, guests, and visitors that Fripp is a wildlife habitat. Harassment, enticement, or feeding of wildlife is both illegal and dangerous. We are sharing this incident in hopes that the violators will be found, not to encourage this behavior.

“Do you know this person?

“HARASSMENT OF AN ALLIGATOR IS BOTH ILLEGAL AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!”

You’d never know the danger of it all by the photo and the scary part is that the guy who grabbed the gator by the tail isn’t the only one of like mind.

One person who replied to the photo had this to say.

“Why would anyone want to go looking for a guy that has the cojones to wrestle with a man eating dinosaur?

“What are they going to do when they find such a man?

“I think the man and beast can take care of their own business and it would behoove common folks to mind their own business.”

Such is the attitude displayed by some and thankfully, they’re in the minority, or let’s hope so. In Canada, we don’t have to deal with gators, but depending on where you’re located, there are other beasts that can do serious damage to someone foolhardy enough to get too close.

Wildlife isn’t the only concern in these days of the COVID-19 pandemic that requires public health guidelines and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus and all of the variants that are causing such anxiety as Canada struggles with the roll-out of vaccinations.

There are those who will shrug off not only their own health, but also the health of those around them.

With such people around, vigilance is the key when signs and warnings don’t seem to cut it.

About Ian Hutchinson

'Hutch' is a veteran Canadian golf writer, whose history in the game includes an extensive background with Canadian golf trade publications. Hutch is also a regular contributor to publications and websites in Canada and the United States.