Giant Python Devours Wallaby on Golf Course

The 'scrub python' is Australia's biggest snake, known to grow as long as 8.5 metres

Giant Python Devours Wallaby on Golf Course

The snake is thought to be a 'scrub python', Australia's biggest snake which can grow up to 8.5 metres long.

Giant Python Devours Wallaby on Golf Course

Golfers playing at the Paradise Palms course in Cairns, Australia on Saturday got a shock when they noticed a giant python eating a whole wallaby on the fairway.

Related: Gigantic Alligator Spotted at Florida Golf Course

Robert Willemse was on the 17th hole at the North Queensland course when he became aware of the hungry python.

"It had (the wallaby) in a vice-like grip and it was swallowing it," Mr Willemse, who regularly plays at Paradise Palms told AFP, after taking a break from his round to have a look.

He took some photos of the snake eating its dinner before completing his game.

Giant Python Devours Wallaby on Golf Course

That's close enough! Images: Robert Willemse/AFP

"I heard later on... as other golfers and staff members came out to have a look at it, that it did actually succeed in swallowing it all and then it rolled into a dry creek nearby and slithered away into the bush, probably to digest its rather large meal," he said.

Related: Rules of Golf - Dangerous Situations

"There's a lot of wildlife in the tropical north," Mr Willemse added, noting that wallabies were a common sight on the course, although snakes were not.

Mr Willemse said the snake most likely dropped onto the marsupial from a tree.

"The snake would never have been able to catch the wallaby in the open like where it was eating it," he said.

"It looked like it might have dropped out of a tree, got a hold of (the wallaby), then there was a bit of a struggle and it rolled into the middle of the fairway."

Have you ever seen a snake on the course? If so, send us in your pictures!

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV