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What Would You Do?

this happened to me at past THP event in a match. I screamed like a girl, let the snake go away, and then got up and down for par.
 
BlueHen2006 said:
I think it's ok to move if it's dead as long as you don't cause your ball to move. Alive, and I'm going to try to scare it away.

But that also depends on the size. 12" or less and I might try to scare it as long as it doesn't cause a penalty for testing the bunker sand. If it's bigger, I will bribe someone else in my group with food and drinks to do it!!
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Yes dead snake is considered loose impediment I believe.
 
I have 13 other clubs i can throw at the snake to get it to move.
 
Depends, you hit a TP5 in there or a K-Sig?

But in reality, it depends on how comfortable the player is. Some people are terrified of snakes, with good reason. Most snakes you encounter on courses here are harmless, but trying to convince someone of that doesn't work.

You could have another player try to gently guide it away (maybe try using a driver? haven't done this myself).

Or, you could treat it like the sand penalty option available in 2019, maybe just move the ball to comparable lie safely away from the snake. That's probably the most reasonable thing, although it doesn't perfectly comply with RoG (since that's been a hot topic lately)
 
JB said:
We are getting ready for the THP Championship and last time on this course, there was a snake next to one of the bunkers. Let's assume for the sake of discussion, this snake is not poisonous. Your ball lands in a bunker and its next to a snake. What do you think the ruling is?
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Don’t care what the ruling is. The snake now owns that ball. I’ll concede the hole or take max handicap. I’m not getting close enough to see if it’s poisonous or not. No way no how uh uh... F those things


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RayG said:
If there is no way to absolutely ID what kind of snake, You err on the side of caution. Venomous or not, there is a "Dangerous condition" rule entitling you to a free drop. In this case, you would drop away from the snake in another part of the bunker. Same applies to Alligators, Fire Ant nests, etc...
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No way to ID what kind of snake? Really?

There's no "dangerous condition" created by a non-venomous snake (unless we start talking Anaconda, Python, etc. that are big enough to wrap you up and kill you, but I don't think that's what we're debating here).
 
Yeah, hard pass on the snake. Going to give that ball to the golf gods and take a free drop in another bunker.

Local rule: Don't eff with snakes.
 
What Would You Do?

dazeedmonds said:
Live snake or dead?

Live snake I’m running away and crying.


Dead snake, I’m running away and whimpering.
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Your answer works


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Rake that thing and fling it as far as I can into whatever sort of hazard is nearest me.

Then laugh for a while and try to compose before hitting the ball.
 
This is the correct answer

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Dead snake: play the ball as it lies. Snake is a loose impediment at that point.
Live snake: drop in the bunker no closer to hole for free or outside the bunker with a stroke penalty. Nonvenomous snakes can still bite!
 
Given that this is the THP championship and the main purpose is to have fun, I'd talk with the other team and see what they want to do. The big thing to remember is this could happen to them later in the same round.

Unless someone knows the actual rule, I'd ask to take relief from the snake and offer to give my opponents the opportunity to recreate my lie or drop it in another non-snakeafied bunker. After the round, we can laugh about that dumb snake over a drink.
 
Canadan said:
Rake that thing and fling it as far as I can into whatever sort of hazard is nearest me.

Then laugh for a while and try to compose before hitting the ball.
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HAHA this is what I have actually done. Now a rattle snake....nope I will move on. I nearly stepped on this one last February, the cart girl actually saw it before I did. It was the third one we saw that day, and someone on course actually got bit and was rushed to the hospital.

It's weird though, living in AZ you kinda become a little more aware of your surroundings because they can be lurking anywhere. A month ago in the evening I was taking our trash out to the curb, it's a bit of a walk, as I got near the curb I could hear this slow tick tick tick.....then all of a sudden it starts getting faster and faster. I could not see it, but it did its job and I did mine....he/she warned me and I walked away. Also FWIW most bites are warranted, most are men, a lot of the times alcohol is involved.

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Free drop, smile, have fun.

Its a THP event, not life and death. The purpose is FUN.
 
This happened to me a few years ago, in the rough though not a bunker. I literally talked to the snake in my best Steve Irwin voice and it took off (I think it hated my Aussie accent). I didn't even get the chance to offer it a signed glove.

...I did appreciate the small flag it left by my ball though.
 
captaincaution said:
Dead snake: play the ball as it lies. Snake is a loose impediment at that point.
Live snake: drop in the bunker no closer to hole for free or outside the bunker with a stroke penalty. Nonvenomous snakes can still bite!
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exactly..

As an aside, Had a similar situation... kinda... many years ago. I played with a friend of mine who was about the size of a bus shelter. He played HS football and if you didn't know him, you would think that he was as mean and tough as any Honey Badger on the hunt. We were standing on the tee and as he was just getting ready to address his ball, a small movement in the grass distracted him. We couldn't see what it was, so I took a look and found a small Garter Snake about 2 foot long slithering along the edge of the tee box. I picked it up (with my hands) and turned around to show it to him. "Hey, look! it's a..." too late, he was 30 yards away screaming like a 6 year old girl who lost her Barbie down a garbage disposal. I wasn't expecting THAT reaction, I tell you what. Anyway, I took it over to the fence line and put the little guy on the other side and let him go slithering off. My buddy was in no shape to play that hole. So I teed off with the other two guys and we went on our way. He calmed down a bit and was kind of able to tee up on the next hole, but he would always be looking around after that.

In another situation, I was playing in Florida and was looking for my ball in some small scrub palms along the edge of the fairway, just as I saw my ball and bent over to ID it, I heard the unmistakable <chika,chika,chika,chika> of a rattler very close by. I think I did a standing broad jump of about 20 feet and claimed "Dangerous Condition!". Dropped another and played on.
 
Play it as it lies. Nut up or shut up. :stickbeat::whew:
 
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Mine wasn't in a bunker, and I was going to have to take an unplayable lie anyways, but always move the snake with something very long :laugh: Wasn't sure if it was poisonous or not but I've always been told that poisonous snakes float on the water, so I'm pretty sure it was a water mocassin..

Either way, I used my driver to invite him to move for me so I could retrieve my ball
fuVSZe

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Don't know nor care what the ruling is.

Will talk to my opponent and hope that common sense prevails. If he feels that it isn't fair I rake it out or get free relief then I will happily concede the hole and try to smoke him the remainder of the round.
 
Jman said:
Free drop, smile, have fun.

Its a THP event, not life and death. The purpose is FUN.
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Shhhhh don't tell anyone, but I've let a THPer move a ball from a divot. Because that's some bull.
 
I love snakes!! I will catch it & calmly move it away into the brush away from all bystanders. If the ball happens to move in my process of catching the snake, I will replace it as close to the same lie as before and play from there.

Remember ... venomous snakes have triangular shaped head & slits for pupils. Non-venomous snakes have a more rounded head & round pupils. I'm more worried about the Coral snake (venomous) vs the Scarlet King Snake (non-venomous) ... just remember the rhyme if you see it. Look at the head .... both have a black head .... "Red touch Black, safe for Jack" NOT "Red touches Yellow, kills a fellow."

I'll see if I can find my snake wrangler rod I used in college. Pack it in the golf bag for the trip to ensure everyone's safety.
 
Capture the snake and place it in someone else’s cart. Then take cover with smartphone in hand to video the reaction.
 
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