Two golfers seeking a pleasant afternoon of golfing at Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Florida met the mother of all hazards in the form of a giant alligator taking a leisurely stroll across the fairway.

Charles Helms and a mate were playing a friendly round when they saw the enormous reptile heading their way. You'd think the first course of action would be to turn heel, but no, Charlie grabbed his phone and began filming. He later told ABC Action News that he thought it was a practical joke.

“I was stunned and silent,” he said. “I didn’t know if we were being punked or something. It was just laying down, resting, when it got up and started moving towards the big lake.”

Mr Helms estimated the size of the massive gator at around 15ft (4.5m) long.

It's not the first time the golfing gator has been seen on course. According to course employee Wendy Schofield, he's been around for years.

“He doesn’t bother anybody and they don’t bother him, he’s like a mascot for the course,” she said. “He has been here for a very, very long time ... There have been guesses that he’s 15 to 16 feet long.”

Video courtesy of Charlie Helms.

What would be the first thing you'd do if you saw this gator cross your path?

Read more at The Guardian