A group of junior golfers was left stunned after a ball landed next to a six-foot-long snake during a coaching session.
The bizarre discovery happened as youngsters were taking part in a round.
Resident PGA pro Aaron Cox was leading his junior elite development group when one player’s shot landed right next to the curled-up reptile.
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The 40-year-old said the snake – believed to be a boa constrictor – was spotted in long grass on the fifth hole at Blackwell Grange Golf Club, Darlington.
Boa constrictors are large, non‑venomous snakes that kill prey by squeezing rather than by using a bite loaded with venom.
Aaron said one of his members had first alerted him after seeing the snake by the side of the fairway.
He then warned the junior group to be careful – before one 12-year-old girl hit her tee shot directly towards it.
“One of my members contacted me and said there was a snake on the right-hand side,” Aaron told Need To Know.
“I was out with my junior elite development programme and told them to be careful.
“One of the 12-year-old girls hit her tee shot on the fifth and it finished up right on the snake.
“She was pretty afraid of having anything to do with it.”
Aaron said he moved the ball away before making sure everyone was safe.
Around 20 minutes later, he contacted head pro Peter Rain and fellow member Ian McDonald to help capture the animal.
He said: “Peter came out with a box and Ian had a golf club in his hand.
“I thought, ‘Yeah, this isn’t quite going to work.’
“So I put the box down next to the snake and tried to use my hands to flick it in without upsetting it too much.
“Ian helped with the golf club to gently push it into the box.”
The trio managed to secure the snake before it was taken to an exotic animal shop, where Aaron said it was safe and doing well.
The incident happened on Saturday (13 June).
Aaron, who is originally from Australia, said spotting snakes was common back home – but not in the north east of England.
He said: “In Australia, across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, you come across snakes all the time in summer.
“But you don’t come across a six-foot snake in Darlington very often.”
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