Best golf course animal encounters of 2015

Oh, the animals we saw on golf courses in 2015. No, not Tiger, the Golden Bear or the Shark. Real animals.

In addition to the typical birdies, eagles and albatrosses, there were enough unusual animals to fill Noah's Ark -- and then some.

Whether it was a boxing kangaroo, an impromptu alligator-wrestling session with an NHL star or a sneaky snake surprising course workers trying to do their jobs, animals were front and center again this year.

Here are some of our favorite animal encounters in 2015:

Danielle Kang's pug plays caddie

LPGA player Danielle Kang doesn’t have to worry about not spending quality time with her dog, Booda. Her dog may be a pug, but it apparently loves to retrieve golf balls during Kang’s practice sessions, as she posted in January.

Rickie Fowler's camel ride in Abu Dhabi

Here's something you don't see every day. Rickie Fowler did more than walk a mile for a Camel after the third round of the Abu Dhabi Championship in January. He rode one instead.

Shortly after making his first eagle of the tournament, he decided to go for a quick ride on a camel that was situated near the 18th green. 

Giant gator prowls Florida course

If you're not a fan of very large reptiles, you may want to stay clear of Myakka Pines Golf Club in Englewood, Fla.

In March, the golf club posted pictures via its Facebook page of a massive -- and I mean massive -- alligator taking a casual stroll on the green.

Snake surprises unwitting maintenance crew

Imagine getting set to move the cup on a green when you look down into the cup and see this?

This not-so-nice encounter was at the Deerwood Club in Kingwood, Texas. Perhaps a place to stay very far from if snakes are not your thing.

Mountain lion tangles with a flagstick

House cats love to chase string and laser dots, but who knew big cats also had a playful side?

Take for instance this video, which features a mountain lion having some fun with the flagstick on the 18th green of the Chiricahua course at Desert Mountain Golf Course in Scottsdale.

Ants are burrowing animals?

During the 2015 PGA Championship, Bubba Watson had an antimated conversation with a rules official about ants. Specifically, whether or not an ant hill was considered relief under the rules.

 

 

Kangaroo boxes with flagstick

Daniel Popovic was just trying to get in a little short-game practice when he was rudely interrupted. Make that "kanga-rudely" interrupted.

Yes, a kangaroo was also on hand at Heritage Golf & Country Club in Wonga Park, Australia, but it wasn't so worried about its short game. Instead, as you can see in the video, the kangaroo was much more concerned with getting in a few rounds of boxing with some of the flags on the practice green.

Stray goat finds its way to PGA Carolinas front yard

We've heard of golf courses hiring goats to help keep down weeds and invasive plants. That happened this summer in Illinois.

But officials at the PGA Carolinas Section headquarters in Browns Summit, N.C., found an unusual visitor to their offices in September: a stray goat, which was enjoying breakfast on the lawn.

Bucks battle on Spyglass Hill green

Those won't do much for the grass, but it certainly was a spectacular show.

Two large and cantankerous bucks decided to go at one another at Pebble Beach's Spyglass Hill Golf Course in October. No word on which one won, but nobody passed the buck that day.

Jeremy Roenick tries to tackle an alligator

In the category of "hockey players aren't like the rest of us," Jeremy Roenick -- who enjoyed an 18-year NHL career and is one of just three U.S.-born players with at least 500 goals -- taunted an alligator. Then he dove at it in an attempt to wrestle it.

The alligator, not wanting a five-minute fighting penalty, wisely declined the offer to drop his gloves, leaving Roenick the unscathed winner.

Persistent fox swipes golfer's headcover

It's one thing to forget a headcover while playing a round. It's another to have somebody keep stealing it from you while you're trying to hit your shot.

That was the case in November, when this Swiper kept swiping, even after being chased. Somebody get Dora the Explorer on the phone.