|
Series:
Diary of A Golf College Student
Article 2: Gator
by
Jonathan Gibbins
Back
to previous entry
Alligator
time
Our
first tournament is approaching and I am getting used to things.
I am in the heart of Boca Raton, on the south-east coast of Florida,
fifty miles north of Miami. It is a very wealthy area and also extremely
clean. I have seen students the same age as me driving around in
Ferraris which made me think of the regular student life back home
of baked beans and toast every night for tea.
I am studying
at Lynn University, which is a small university (about 1,500 students),
with a picturesque campus decorated with small lakes and exotic
plants.
Anyway, the
golf/study routine is kicking in and there isn’t much time for anything
else. The time becomes worse when tournaments arrive and you’re
on the road for a few days missing classes and having to catch up
when you get back.
With the weather
constantly beautiful, I have no reason to complain because I am
playing golf everyday. In a college event, only five players compete
and right now, we are qualifying to determine the five that will
play from the nine guys in the team. Everything is a new experience
for me and every round of golf seems to hold it’s own wonderful
occurrence. Today was no exception.
As you might
already know, most courses in Florida have water on them, which
means there is always a good chance there might be alligators lurking.
They get in through the sewer system and settle in the larger lakes
of golf courses. Our course had plenty of them and I am dying to
see some (from a safe distance- no close observation is necessary).
The round went
smoothly enough as we made our way to the 16th tee with
the sun starting to set. We climbed the embankment to the tee and
were confronted with a very lazy, very large alligator (about seven
foot long) lounging right over the tee boxes. It was sleeping happily
until we got there and opened its eyes while we were staring at
it with our golf bags over our backs. That was enough for me and
I scampered (well, fell) down the slope and walked briskly down
the hole, scared silly.
Apparently,
they are harmless unless provoked so they told me in the clubhouse.
Yes ok, well, I’ll just hit my drive down the 16th lovely
and straight and try and forget that there is a giant killing beast
behind me trying to sleep! Rule No 1: Sharpen senses on golf course.
Rule No 2: Don’t get eaten while playing.
Come back to the
site next week and read the next installation
of life on a golf scholarship!
|
