Of alligators and gold medals

There's always a few things you need to keep an eye out for on the golf course when it comes to personal safety.
The occassional golfer who does not know you are supposed to yell "FORE" when a ball is getting too close to another golfer, thus exposing you to an unexpected golf ball off the noggin. The occasional snake in the rough when you go searching for your wayward shot, especially in Texas and yes I speak from personal experience.
The other day I finished putting at my course's 13th hole, retrieved my ball and turned around to see an adult kit fox sitting on the green about 20 feet away. We spent about 30 seconds staring at each other before he decided to trot off, but it was a long 30 seconds as I was trying to remember if kit foxes liked to munch on humans or not.
Still, that experience was nothing like that of a 77-year-old golfer at Ocean Creek Golf Course in South Carolina. The man, whose name has not been released, was picking up his golf ball when a 10-foot alligator grabbed his arm and dragged him into a pond.
His playing partners managed to pull the victim away, but not before the alligator had severed part of the player's arm. The alligator was quickly hunted down and killed and the arm was retrieved, but last reports did not seem to indicate that it could be reattached.
While the player's condition is still not known, I am sure all of us hope for a speedy recovery. And the incident should serve as a needed reminder for all of us to keep an eye out at all times. Golf is a pastoral game but it hasd its dangers from above and below.
In lighter news, the 2016 Olympic Games of Rio de Janeiro will include golf among its 28 sports. It will mark the first time since 1904 that golf will be a part of the Games and it is nice to see it included.
But I would like to see the Games go back to allowing only true amateur players participate. Otherwise this is just going to be another PGA Tour event with the best pros from all over the world going to the Games.
I understand why the U.S. started sending its pros to the Games as other countries were subsidizing their athletes so they could focus on training while still earning a living a technically remaining "amatuers" but it would be nice to see a return back to the original intent of the 1896 Games in Athens.
But for now, at least golf in back in the Games and that is a step in the right direction.