Mic the Croc: ERPM Golf Club’s wild visitor
Two yellow eyes in the water stopped play and sparked one of ERPM Golf Club's wildest stories.
Life on the rolling greens and shimmering dams of ERPM Golf Club usually unfolds without incident, with golfers navigating bunkers and water hazards rather than wildlife.
This calm was disrupted on January 12 when an unexpected visitor was spotted in the 9th hole dam.
According to Marinus Weiss, the ERPM Golf Club manager, a security officer on routine patrol noticed what appeared to be a crocodile in the water.
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“We immediately realised this was no log,” Weiss said, confirming that the sighting was reported to management without delay.
The Nile crocodile, soon nicknamed “Mic the Croc” by club members, quickly became the talk of the course.
It remains unclear how the animal arrived at the dam. Weiss said that summer rainfall and nearby water systems may have played a role.
Following the sighting, management contacted Nature Conservation to ensure the animal’s safe removal and relocation.
“There were two attempts to catch it. The first attempt was on January 15, but that was unsuccessful. He outsmarted us.
“They then returned again on January 21, when they managed to catch it.”
Weiss added that the crocodile was handled professionally and humanely by conservation officials.
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“They were going to draw blood from it to determine where it originates from and will relocate it back to its original home,” he said.
With Mic now safely removed, the 9th hole dam has returned to its usual quiet state. However, Weiss said the incident will not soon be forgotten.
“As the sun rose over the 9th dam, members gathered at the clubhouse. Someone raised a coffee as a toast to Mic the Croc, the biggest legend the club has ever had.
“We were the Wild-ERPM for a while thanks to one clever croc.
“It’s not every day that a crocodile turns up on a golf course in the East Rand. For a short while, ERPM had its own piece of the wild – and it certainly gave members a story to tell.”
