I played again today, and there wasn’t any wind. Club selection was tough! Played well though.
In front of the green at #11, a par 3, there is a pond. As we walked between the bunkers and water one of my partners said, “That’s a pretty big snake.” Sticking his head out of a drain pipe in the water was a cottonmouth. He was young, or had just shed because his markings were very plain. It was obvious he wasn’t in a mood to be disturbed. I’ll remember to be a bit more careful around the brush near that hole from now on.
I flagged down a marshal and told him to warn others about the snake. “Oh, that’s just a water snake. They have the same markings as a cottonmouth.” I assured him I knew what I saw, and left it at that. I grew up in the south and have had plenty of confrontations with the specie.
A rattlesnake has a completely different personality. He will look at you, shake his tail, and say, “Aw, man. Don’t bother me. I’m just lying here trying to catch some rays!” Cottonmouths have an attitude. Get close to them and they try to stare you down. “Bring it on. You want some of this? I’ll be glad to dish it out. This is my turf, so tread lightly and get the hell out of here before I chase you out!”