Shark Found Thrashing on Golf Course

Some golfer at San Juan Hills Golf Club must have scored an Eagle, as no birdie could have left what an employee found in the grass: a 2-foot-long leopard shark. At around 4 p.m. just after some golfers left the tee, the shark was found by an employee, thrashing in the grass. Judging by the puncture wounds on its back, the golf club owners guessed that a predatory bird had grabbed the shark for a snack until some golfers distracted it.

“Shark falling from the sky, kind of odd,” said Melissa McCormack, director of club operations at San Juan Hills. “It was wriggling around. He needed to get to the ocean right away.

“It had a little blood on it, but it was still alive. We didn’t want to waste any time. Poor guy, he got dropped onto a golf course.”

The hapless shark was momentarily dipped in fresh water — they worried it wouldn’t like that — and then drove to the nearby ocean. Bryan Stizer, who made the drive, reported, “I thought he was dead. When I dropped him into the water, he just lied there for a few seconds, but then he did a twist and shot off into the water.”

So goes human logic; a fallen nestling gets all our attention and care while we eat chick breasts for dinner; the shark is rushed with urgency to the water, so the crew can come back, relieved, and enjoy a tuna sandwich to celebrate.