Augusta is back in the rough. No, it has nothing to do with the possible layout for this year’s US Masters. It is about Augusta, the golf-ball eating snake.
If you remember a while ago, there was a couple in northern New South Wales, Australia who put some golf balls in the chicken coop in order to encourage the hens to lay some eggs.
When they returned one day, the golf balls had disappeared. Initially blaming their grandchildren, they realised what happened when they came across a lumpy carpet python.
The 80cm python had swallowed the eggs … sorry, golf balls. The serpent was sent to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for surgery to remove the golf balls.
It has been more than eight weeks now and the snake, nicknamed Augusta, “is ready to be returned to the roughâ€.
Margaret Church, who found the snake with her husband Greg, told AAP that she was happy Augusta could return to more familiar ground.
“I’m glad we found him when we did. My husband, who doesn’t mind handling snakes, picked him up, and he could feel the golf balls inside. It was a funny thing at the time.â€
I’m sure Augusta thought it was hilarious. What happened to the golf balls? Well, they were sold for A$1,401 in an online auction with the proceeds going to the building of a new animal hospital.
Not a penny is going to a new golf course, though that is not a problem in this case. What I really want to know is, did the hens ever lay eggs?
Speaking of the relationships between golf and snakes, it is not always recommended to go pick up a snake, whether his belly is full of golf balls or not.
News reaches us of South African Eugen Marugi, one of the most promising black players in his country, who was bitten on his right arm by a venomous night adder while trying to retrieve a ball at the Wild Coast Sun County Club near Port Edward.
He was rushed to hospital for anti-venom and recovered, though his arm hurt for a few days. He was taking part in the Nashua Masters when the incident happened.
Wonder what the rules of golf are for getting bit by a snake. Can one get relief, apart from anti-venom, of course?
Yes you are permitted to take relief from a dangerous situation without penalty. Rule 1-4,10 Drop a ball at nearest point not nearer the hole that is not dangerous.