One Florida man faced an intimidating 10-footer last week and turned to his trusty putter to pull him through.

That 10-footer was not a simple par putt, but actually a feisty alligator attacking Tony Aarts at Magnolia Landing Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers. According to a report from local TV station WPTV, Aarts best hope at that point came with his Cleveland putter.

“As I was walking about five to six feet away from the water I heard a splash, and as soon as I heard that splash I knew it was an alligator, and he got me.” Aarts said. “I remember having a club in my hand, and as soon as he had me in the water up to my waist, I started hitting him over the head. I seen (sic) the size of him, you know you can just see the claws as he was pulling me back and I’m heeling in trying to go the other way and he’s just looking at me and I’m looking at him. So I started hitting him in the eye socket, I hit him 3 times and he let go of my foot. so I crawled back and by that time the guys… they were there.”

The scary attack landed him in the hospital with multiple puncture wounds. State wildlife officials would return to the scene to put the alligator down. Check out the full report here.