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Sport Book Service | Around the worlds wildest golf course where hyenas eat baboons and lions prowl the fairways

 Golfers must watch out for lions when they play the world's wildest golf course

GOLF fans are used to seeing a certain sort of Tiger stalking its prey on the fairways.

And over the years they witnessed a Golden Bear, Great White Shark and Wild Thing John Daly winning top tournaments.

Golfers must watch out for lions when they play the world's wildest golf courseCredit: Kennedy News and Media
Elephants roam freely on and near the greensCredit: Kennedy News and Media
The golf course is also a hunting ground where wild beasts eat their killsCredit: Kennedy News and Media
Warthogs could get in your lineCredit: Kennedy News and Media
This hyena marks his territory on one of the greensCredit: Kennedy News and Media

But the self-proclaimed world's wildest golf course has hyenas eating baboons and lions prowling up and down its manicured greens.

The greenkeepers even have to hide the flags from hungry beasts that try to eat them through the night.

This is everyday life at Skukuza Golf Club in Kruger, South Africa, where a round costs from 10 for nine holes up to 17 for 18.

Jean Rossouw, 29, is in charge of making sure the nine-hole track which opened in 1972 remains playable - when he is not chasing off a pride of lions.

Mischievous leopards, hyenas, elephants and giraffes all roam the course, which sits inside Kruger National Park.

Rossouw, who has worked at the course for five years, said: "I would go as far to say [Skukuza is] the wildest golf course in the whole world.

"The hyenas eat the flags and the elephants damage the trees. We have to take the flags and tee markers in at night so they don't eat them anymore.

"My job as green keeper is to drive around in the early mornings to see what's on the golf course.

'I FOUND LIONS ON THE COURSE JUST THIS MORNING'

"I'm on the course all day and I'm driving up and down to make sure there's no dangerous animals near the people, so it's fairly safe.

"I found lions on the course this morning around 6.30am and chased them off with the vehicle. If you come across them you do get a bit of a fright, but they also get a fright.

"I turned around and got a vehicle to drive in because you don't want to face them head to head with a golf cart.

"I also check what the elephants damaged the night before because they knock down the trees.

"We've also got the whole Big Five and other animals on the course - lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants.

"I don't think there's any other course with the same amount of dangerous animals anywhere in the whole world.

"People love to encounter them on the course which is why they come to experience that.

"We've had no near misses. The animals do tend to keep their distance and they're often scared of people.

"But we've got a card and number so we do give it to the people and tell them if they see anything on the course to please phone and let the pro shop know.

"We don't have any fences around here, so the animals can be around whenever they like. They come and go but they tend to keep their distance.

"We get quite a few of these incursions happening over time, but nothing's happened with any tourists yet. Whenever they see people they tend to move off."

Golf is used to Tiger Woods, the Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus and even the Great White Shark Greg Norman, but not actual lions on the courseCredit: Kennedy News and Media
Would you hit a shot with one of these on your fairway?Credit: Kennedy News and Media
Golfers will be sure not to hit long over the back of this greenCredit: Kennedy News and Media
Massive hogs live next to this water hazardCredit: Kennedy News and Media
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