Did you hit my ball?

Mister Sifter

A golfer who attacked another player with a club in a "golf rage" incident is facing jail.

Harold Stafford, 54, launched the assault on Barry Barnes with his eight iron after he thought someone in Mr Barnes' group had played his ball.

Stafford, of Luton, claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Barnes shouted a racist comment at him.

But a jury at Luton Crown Court found him guilty of assault causing bodily harm.

The court heard the row broke out at Stockwood Park Golf Course in Luton on September 19 last year.

Stafford was shouting at Mr Barnes' group, accusing them of playing his ball. When his shouting put Mr Barnes off his putt, he went to talk to Stafford.

Mr Barnes said: "I wanted to sort things out if there was a problem.

"He was still looking for his ball. I tried to explain to him normally that our party was not playing his ball.

"He kept saying: 'You played my ball, you played my ball'. Then I think we got a bit heated."

He told the jury he could remember very little of what happened but as he walked away was struck with the club on his arm.

"If I hadn't put my arm up it would have been my head," he said.

"The club was broken. I was knocked to the ground. I was hit across the back with the broken shaft."

Stafford claimed he had acted only in self-defence but the prosecution said his attack was unprovoked.

The court heard he had won six titles at the course and been Golfer of the Year.

He will be sentenced on July 14.

Judge Richard Foster told him he could expect a custodial sentence.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090605/tuk-golf-rage-man-faces-jail-for-club-at-45dbed5.html

copacetic

golf rage! My favourite was knocking a beautiful drive down the second at Newlands, once we had all hit away we walked, only to see this guy run from the 6th over to the middle of our fairway, whack my ball toward his green and run back over. Couldn't believe it, he said he thought it must have been his as his ball had been on that line. Pointing out that a ball in the middle of our fairway was most likely ours didn't make much sense to him!

We'd seen him go in that direction but when he got to the ball we all assumed he would check it quickly and move on, didn't even check, was in a rush to get out of our way I think, just paused and whacked it before we could even shout not to hit it. Some people are just idiots you have to learn to expect it.

billy3sheets

I played another guy's ball last Monday. Pulled a drive well left onto next fairway, which is obscured from view by mound. Hit provisional after other 3 players had played.
Walked onto other fairway just after they had teed off, found a Pro-V1 #1 with 2 red dots middle of fairway. I had found one on 1st and lost my own since, so was playing a ball with my own mark - a single black spot, plus someone elses 2 red dots. I hit it over trees to front of my green, delighted with recovery, only to have one of them ask me if I hit wrong ball.
Meanwhile they had found mine in the rough. I ran up to ball I had hit to find no black spot on it, so brought it back and replaced where i had hit it from.
2 shot penalty for me. Then drilled my own into trees & gave up.
Thankfully he didn't beat me up with a club. Then again I didn't need any more punishment

copacetic

errrm, of course perfectly non idiotic people can do it by accident!

Trampas

Had one last last week.

On a decent score overall 17 points for back nine after 7.I blocked it out onto the next fairway. Walking down I see 2 men in a buggy hit balls up and off they went. Grand there is a ball just at the edge of the rough foot off the fairway.

Not mine. Gave the others a call and then grumbled and kept on going.

The group I was with and myself are convinced they played the wrong ball.

sweetswing

unbelieveable stuff . seen quit a few nasty things on golf courses slow play being the number one culprit . friend of mine hit a shot to a par 3 the othre week [double green] we all saw his ball fly into tth bunker that sort of divides the green, wen he got to it there was no ball to be seen ,he asked guys coming off the other side of the green had they seen a ball and lo and behold he takes it out of his pocket ,he said it was beside his in the bunker so he just picked it up ? at least he gave it back

Oliverdog

I well remember playing in a qualifier for a strokeplay knockout competition, with my golfing partner of many years. We'd both had a good day, and walking up the 18th we could bogey the par 5 and still both qualify with a stroke to spare.
Both 100 yards out in 2, then we played each other's ball into the green, and both missed out by the penalty shot.

sweetswing

now thats a good un . bet you dont even take a club out of the bag now without checking ball first .

Suspiria79

copacetic wrote: »

golf rage! My favourite was knocking a beautiful drive down the second at Newlands

Jolly Good shot Jeves. Quiet remarkable. Very good swing. Oh, I say! Cor Blimey! Greatness.

copacetic

Suspiria79 wrote: »

Jolly Good shot Jeves. Quiet remarkable. Very good swing. Oh, I say! Cor Blimey! Greatness.

why thank you kind sir, all the chaps at the club said the same over pimms.

Oliverdog

Nick Faldo played the wrong ball in the Open a few years ago. Inexcusable really - his own ball had FALDO tattooed on it. :eek: