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Keep an eye out for snakes, such as this eastern
diamondback, on your Myrtle Beach golf vacation.
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If you’re like most golfers, you’ll get a kick out of seeing alligators sunning themselves on the banks of golf course ponds during your Myrtle Beach golf vacation. There’s something about these prehistoric-looking beasts that’s simply mesmerizing.
Personally, I don’t feel the same way about snakes. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid them during my desert golf trips, but can’t say the same thing for my last Myrtle Beach golf vacation. It seemed like they were everywhere. After seeing a few harmless black snakes at the courses in Pawleys Island, my next round was at Tom Doak’s Moorland Course at Legends Resort.
No sooner had we started out than the other twosome in our group drove over what they said was a diamondback snake. I decided not to go over to confirm the species, knowing that the eastern diamondback is a rattler with the largest fangs of any snake in the East.
Later in the round, as I traipsed after my ball beside some wetlands, I came upon what looked like a copperhead. Afterward, in the Legends clubhouse, the pro shop personnel couldn’t say what kind of snakes were out there, only that they knew there were a lot of them. The good news is that snakes are seldom aggressive toward humans, and they are not inclined to strike and bite unless they are put in a seriously defensive position.
Interestingly, there are official golf rules pertaining to snakes, but it depends if they are alive or dead. The former are considered “outside agencies,” from which you can take relief; the latter are “loose impediments” and can be moved. In the case of dangerous situations with poisonous snakes, you are allowed to take a drop, no nearer the hole.
Let’s hope it never comes to this on your Myrtle Beach golf vacation. Still, it would be a good idea to pull up your socks, roll down your pant legs and make plenty of noise when venturing off the fairways.
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