Golfer’s Shot Goes Off Course—And Lands a Direct Hit on a Turtle

Somewhere between hole 8 and hole 9 on a Cape Cod golf course, a painted turtle got caught in the most unfortunate kind of crossfire—a flying golf ball.

The poor guy lives peacefully near one of the water features on the course. But on Monday, someone’s swing turned his shell into a target. The result? A chunk taken clean out of it.

He was rushed to the Cape Wildlife Center, where staff confirmed he had been nailed by a stray ball. And yes, they called it a “divot.” Golf humor never sleeps.

Now here’s the wild part—despite having what looks like a crater carved into his shell, this little warrior is walking, moving, and functioning like nothing happened. X-rays showed the ball missed everything critical—spine and organs—by just a few centimeters.

They believe the injury’s not brand new since tissue has already started growing back. Still, the center’s keeping him under watch for a few more days to make sure nothing sneaky pops up.

Let’s hope the next hazard he faces is just a sand trap.