The King and Prince Golf Course on St. Simons Island is a sprawling eighteen hole example of lush greenness and surrounded by beautiful marshes where alligators roam.

Most people go to a golf course to..uh, you know…golf. Unless you are me, then you go to one of the best golf courses in Georgia to hunt for alligators.

Yes, you can play a killer game of golf there or, in my case, an embarrassing round where you whiff the ball at least three times, but you can also spot alligators sunning themselves on the green. I was more interested in the later.

We arrived at the golf course on an uncharacteristically chilly morning and the smart staff had blankets waiting on the seats of our carts.

I quickly popped into the drivers seat, I will be navigating this alligator hunt.


We were actually at the golf course just to take a tour of the unbelievably heavenly grounds, but I had alligator sightings on my mind ever since our guide mentioned it.

And now I knew that the gators hung out between the 13th and 15th holes. Can we just fast forward through the first twelve?

We approached the 13th hole and I was the first out of my cart. If anyone would be scaring an alligator away, it was going to be me.

Hopefully not visa versa.

With the lack of sun, there were no alligators tanning on the 13th hole. Or the 14th. Or the 15th. We were gatorless.

And even as the opportunity had passed I continued to search. As everyone was looking at the beautiful eagle flying away from its nest (the nest was HUGE), I walked along the waters edge hunting. Maybe gators had ventured past the 15th hole? Nope.

After the disappointment of not seeing an alligator set in, I took my shoes off to walk on the perfectly manicured putting green, trying to verify that the flawless grass was not fake.

I am sure this was not proper golf etiquette, but neither is walking on a golf course, while not actually golfing, and chanting “here gator, gator”.

The grass was so soft, a blend of four types were used on this course, that it was no wonder the alligators liked to get cozy on it. I thought about lying down on the green myself, as gator bait.

For the record, you can not just go ‘alligator hunting’ at the golf course. DO NOT call them to ask for the ‘gator sighting’ tour. But, you can play a stunning round of golf and try to spot them on the back nine. That will surely make golf fun.

Feeding an alligator will have to remain on my bucket list for a little longer.

Disclosure: This tour was sponsored by the King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort in St. Simons, but all the words I write come straight from my, sometimes distorted, mind. Just as it should be.