If it ain't yours, don't steal it

[pingeye]

I really can not understand anyone that finds an item on a golf course and thinks to themselves, wow look what I just found and actually believes that it is theirs to keep. Anyone I play with would get a good butt chewing from me if I saw them do this.

 

I played on Sunday at Chateau Elan in the Atlanta area and accidentally dropped my Oakley sunglasses on the first tee. They were on my hat when I pulled it off to put sun screen on and I didn't notice them fall to the ground.

 

I didn't realize they were missing until around the 5th hole. I asked the group behind us if they saw them and one guys tells me, " I saw them on the tee box but left them there because he didn't want them to get lost"..??????

 

I flagged down the starter and asked him if he could check with the other groups behind us and see if anyone happened to pick them up. He came back around the 9th hole and told me no one behind us had seen them.

 

After the round I checked with the clubhouse and no one turned anything in. I even hung out by the clubhouse and asked the first 4 groups behind us coming in if they found a pair of Oakley's and everyone said they hadn't seen them.

 

I left my name/number with the head pro and now it's Wednesday and I have not heard a word. I've called them Monday and Tuesday afternoon thinking that someone found them and tossed them in their bag and just forgot about them but maybe turned them in later. No luck.

 

So, now I'm out a nice M Frame Oakley that I have had for 5 or 6 years. The kicker is that I just spent $70 dollars on a new lens direct from Oakley that I received and put in last Friday and I didn't even get a chance to wear them.

 

Anyone that pulls this crap is nothing more than a thief.

 

Watch you stuff on the course as there are undesirables amongst us. This doesn't bring back my glasses however I feel better being able to vent my disappointment.

[Bomb and Gouge]

I agree with you and that sucks! It happens all of the time too. Luckily MOST people do turn stuff in.

 

 

 

By the way, 5-6 years is a long time to own one pair of sunglasses. Consider yourself lucky and buy a new pair of frames. :man_in_love:

[Mizgoodie]

If they were that important how did you lose them,they go on your eyes not the top of your hat,, someone could have ran the over and threw them away.

[Dizz]

I can't believe you expected someone to turn in your glasses, people these days aren't turning in a nice pair of shades. I lost a watch on the course once and basically just blamed it on myself because I'm the guy who dropped it. If you think about it, its the same thing if you just pick up a random ball on the course even if there is no one around which is something I will never do. I play a lot of twilight golf and if you miss the fairway (even if its by a yard) then chances are your ball is going to gone. I think if you pick up balls on the course its just as bad as picking up a pair of someone elses Oakley shades. Just last week I was playing with my buddy and we both teed off on the 4th hole. I hit one right down the middle (short 330 par 4) and was about 40 yards short of the green right in the middle of the fairway. My buddy hits one left and were down an enbankmet looking for his ball for 2 minutes, he drops from the hazard and hits and we head to my ball. What do ya know...its gone. I'm looking around and see 2 guys looking at me and they say you playing a Callaway and I said yea and he throws it to me and says "Yea we didnt see anyone on the hole and it was a nice ball." These guys were on a hole from the back 9 that runs adjacent to this hole. They gave the ball back but 99% of the time those guys just drive off and say nothing. People do this all the time with $4 golf balls and you think they're turning in a nice pair of shades?

 

Stupid story really but it just shows you that everyone has an attitude that whatver is on the ground is theirs as long as no1 is there to claim it. I have never picked up anything on a course that might be in play and any club or item I would always take to the clubhouse if someone in front of me hadn't come to look for it first. Karma will come back to you.

[Chairman7w]

Agreed, they simply stole them. I hate scumbags.

 

I have a simple rule I've lived by that I taught my son (not that he necessarily does it), and that is, "If it aint yours, leave it alone."

[illini40]

It is really crappy, but that is what is happening anymore. I have seen several courses lost and found area. How many nice sticks do you see in there? None. How many people come in asking if anyone turned in the nice stick that they left back at some green or whatever? Tons. How many actually get there gear back? Few.

 

It's a bad deal.

[jimbonecrusher]

Wow! You guys are a bunch of holier than though types. So if you think it is wrong to pick up things that are on the ground with nobody around, I gather you find it stealing when people pick up change or money off of the sidewalk. How about this. If it meant so much to you, then don't leave it behind. I am not talking about taking clubs left greenside, but you dropped your glasses on #1 tee box. Sure, somebody should know that they belong to somebody and turned them in to the pro shop, but you are berating somebody that didn't do that, even though it is your fault for dropping them. Heck, people won't even help a person that is hit by a car while crossing a street, and you expect them to turn in a pair of lost sun glasses. As far a picking up balls out on the course. I will do it all of the time. If I am in the trees looking for my ball or a playing partners ball, and I find some balls in the woods, then I will pick them up. I won't pick one up that is in the rough when an adjacent hole is in play, but if there are no other balls and I am in the woods looking for a ball and I find a ball, then it gets picked up and put into the shag bag.

[JeffreySpicoli]

It is really crappy, but that is what is happening anymore. I have seen several courses lost and found area. How many nice sticks do you see in there? None. How many people come in asking if anyone turned in the nice stick that they left back at some green or whatever? Tons. How many actually get there gear back? Few.

 

It's a bad deal.

 

This never would have happened back in the 1980s. Back then people had morals.

[Wait_What]

i don't really understand why the guy left them on the 1st tee box. i pick stuff up and turn it in; that way i know it gets done and hopefully finds it way home. although i've forgotten a couple of times...and now have some putter headcovers that are sitting in the corner.

[mhk5000]

I'll thow some sympathy and tell you that is sucks to lose stuff on the course or anywhere. Hopefully you beleive in Karma. Perhaps it was a course employee?? I say check e-bay to see if it shows up there!

 

Sorry to hear about the shades.

[bfactor]

I left a wedge last year by a practice bunker that was not turned in at the clubhouse. That sucked since it was about 4 days old.

 

Most thieves would have trouble with the rest of my clubs. If they take one of my MP-14 irons with Brunswick 6.5 shafts the joke is on them!

[delrmx01]

OP was placing sunscreen and didn't realize the glasses fell off. He's venting his frustration and I can understand that--I've left some valuable things in the course without ever seeing them again but I can only get mad at myself for not being attentive.

 

Oh and sorry to hear about your shades-- now you can get some new ones :man_in_love:

[klaymon]

You guys berating the OP are a bunch of a*******. He dropped the glasses unknowingly, hence it was accidental. The person who picked them up and kept them did it on purpose and had to know it had just happened in a short time span. It's not like the guy that kept them thought "Hell, these could have been laying here for days a no one claimed them." And comparing it to picking up a $2.50 ball? Please.

 

May karma visit you all.

[Freddy300]

Wow! You guys are a bunch of holier than though types. So if you think it is wrong to pick up things that are on the ground with nobody around, I gather you find it stealing when people pick up change or money off of the sidewalk. How about this. If it meant so much to you, then don't leave it behind. I am not talking about taking clubs left greenside, but you dropped your glasses on #1 tee box. Sure, somebody should know that they belong to somebody and turned them in to the pro shop, but you are berating somebody that didn't do that, even though it is your fault for dropping them. Heck, people won't even help a person that is hit by a car while crossing a street, and you expect them to turn in a pair of lost sun glasses. As far a picking up balls out on the course. I will do it all of the time. If I am in the trees looking for my ball or a playing partners ball, and I find some balls in the woods, then I will pick them up. I won't pick one up that is in the rough when an adjacent hole is in play, but if there are no other balls and I am in the woods looking for a ball and I find a ball, then it gets picked up and put into the shag bag.

 

I have to agree with you. If I forget something, I am careless and lose something then I don't expect others to retrieve stuff I lost. I hope they might return them but I will not claim they "stole" from me.

 

I found clubs and turned them in or gave them to people when they came back to look for it before i turned it in. At least once the guy had an attitide about it. I did not want his crappy club. People should also not leave clubs laying around on the course.

 

I never kept any clubs nor would I. If I found a Cobra L4V or a Vokey wedge then it might be iffy (just kidding). If I find a ball in the woods as I am looking for one of mine then the ball is mine.

 

I trip over balls in the rough and people cannot be bothered to look for them then I will pick it up. The lawnmower will probably cut them up anyway. If someone is searching for a ball I will look around to try to point it out to them. If I pick up a ball in the rough, I always look to see if anyone is around who could have hit it or who may be searching for a ball.

 

I don't want someone's clubs or sunglasses but they need to be more careful. Get those sun glass leashes.

[Bomb and Gouge]

Golfer sure have gotten sh1tty!

 

I would hope a golf course would be one of the few places left where and item would be returned (or turned in) if someone accidentally left it behind.

 

If you find something on the course that isn't your's, it IS STEALING!

 

What a bunch of bums!

[blade_man]

You guys berating the OP are a bunch of a*******. He dropped the glasses unknowingly, hence it was accidental. The person who picked them up and kept them did it on purpose and had to know it had just happened in a short time span. It's not like the guy that kept them thought "Hell, these could have been laying here for days a no one claimed them." And comparing it to picking up a $2.50 ball? Please.

 

May karma visit you all.

 

 

I agree! So for you guys that DON'T turn stuff in the next step is "oh! I found this club in another guys bag, sure didn't look like his so it's mine now!?"

[Bakugekiki]

This has not got anything to do with any of us.

Yes, we can share our morals, I myself have returned clubs and picked up balls in the forest, if I lost a ball I would expect someone to find and use it; otherwise it's just a waste of good material.

 

I hope this thread gets locked, it will just turn into a big arguement where nobody can win. All we can do however is hope people learn and consider other's feelings.

[rjw3715]

You guys berating the OP are a bunch of a*******. He dropped the glasses unknowingly, hence it was accidental. The person who picked them up and kept them did it on purpose and had to know it had just happened in a short time span. It's not like the guy that kept them thought "Hell, these could have been laying here for days a no one claimed them." And comparing it to picking up a $2.50 ball? Please.

 

May karma visit you all.

 

 

I agree! So for you guys that DON'T turn stuff in the next step is "oh! I found this club in another guys bag, sure didn't look like his so it's mine now!?"

 

 

This happened to me. but the whole bag. played a muni about a year back. left my clubs with everyone elses outside the clubhouse. came out they were gone. 905r, 670s and the rest. GUTTED. but its the price you pay when you trust people today.

[blkdiamond]

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here.

 

I completely agree that stealing is wrong. Personally if I found a pair of sun glasses or a club on the golf course I would pick it up and turn it into the clubhouse. Regarding golf balls, I never pick them up, ever. Unfortunately not everyone is like me, especially if they were to find something expensive.

 

Now the other side of the coin. If I inadvertently drop my sunglasses and someone finds them and keeps them, or I leave a club next to a green and someone finds it and keeps it, in my opinion some of the responsibility lies with me. I never let my golf bag/clubs out of my sight, especially at municipal courses, and I try to always be aware of where my stuff is at, especially expensive stuff.

[GenErr]

If you find a club, something of value, or something personal on the golf course, it should be turned into the pro shop. I'm amazed that people on this forum are even questioning this! And no, this does not include found golf balls.

 

About 5 years ago I lost my wedding band on the course. I never thought it would be found, much less turned in. Someone actually found it and turned it in at the pro shop.

 

If it isn't yours, turn it in. Anything else is stealing.

[GaijinGolfer]

IMO, the problem isnt picking things up that you find on the course, its not turning in something that you find and if someone asks you if you saw a particular item, not admitting to it.

I find golf balls on the course all the time. I always make sure that the ball is indeed a lost ball, not an errant shot that someone intends to claim.

I usually play very early in the morning, so Im always the first person on the course that day. If I ever found a ball or other item on the course and someone later came to me and described the item, you can bet that Id give it back to them.

[civicSQ]

My first post....

 

As we all know the world is unfortunately not made up of the same type of people it once was. That being said I always thought that stepping on the golf course you were among people of honor, and if I dropped a wedge I would fully expect to get it back. It wouldn't even cross my mind that i might lose it. And if I found a wedge or even a $500 driver I would go out of my way to assure that it got back to the rightful owner. But I guess another tradition is falling.....I will take a look behind from now on to be sure noone in my 4-some has left something behind.

[JeffreySpicoli]

If you find a club, something of value, or something personal on the golf course, it should be turned into the pro shop. I'm amazed that people on this forum are even questioning this! And no, this does not include found golf balls.

 

About 5 years ago I lost my wedding band on the course. I never thought it would be found, much less turned in. Someone actually found it and turned it in at the pro shop.

 

If it isn't yours, turn it in. Anything else is stealing.

 

I just reread the entire thread & I don't see where anyone is questioning whether or not to turn a lost item into the pro shop. Did I miss something?

 

What I do read are posters questioning as to why the OP is surprised about his situation. Stealing is as old as humanity. It's sad but it's not a surprise.

[teejaywhy]

I just reread the entire thread & I don't see where anyone is questioning whether or not to turn a lost item into the pro shop. Did I miss something?

 

Well...

 

Wow! You guys are a bunch of holier than though types. So if you think it is wrong to pick up things that are on the ground with nobody around, I gather you find it stealing when people pick up change or money off of the sidewalk. How about this. If it meant so much to you, then don't leave it behind.

 

Yes, jimbonecrusher, it is wrong to keep things that don't belong to you. People with poor ethics sure find it easy to rationalize their behavior.

 

 

Also, I really don't think finding golf balls is quite the same as finding a pair of sunglasses or a club. Balls are quite normally lost and abandoned during the course of play.

[777twist]

I have turned in both clubs and covers. I left a wedge on a course and went back a day later and someone turned it in.

 

I would hope most people would try and turn stuff in... because anyone....ANYONE who doesn't turn something (anything) in is probably a cheater and doesn't belong on the golf course anyway!

[BFC]

One of the few perks of being a lefty.....thieves are less prone to raid your bag!

 

I have had a towel liberated from my bag, a freaking towel!!!! :man_in_love:

 

Sad to say but course employees are usually the culprit. At my club the have a bin for "lost" balls that they sell back for 50 cents, I challenge you to find a ProV, HX or B330 in that bin................same goes for the lost club locker. Hell rangers spend more time looking for balls than keeping up pace of play!

[larrybud]

Wow! You guys are a bunch of holier than though types. So if you think it is wrong to pick up things that are on the ground with nobody around, I gather you find it stealing when people pick up change or money off of the sidewalk. How about this. If it meant so much to you, then don't leave it behind. I am not talking about taking clubs left greenside, but you dropped your glasses on #1 tee box. Sure, somebody should know that they belong to somebody and turned them in to the pro shop, but you are berating somebody that didn't do that, even though it is your fault for dropping them. Heck, people won't even help a person that is hit by a car while crossing a street, and you expect them to turn in a pair of lost sun glasses. As far a picking up balls out on the course. I will do it all of the time. If I am in the trees looking for my ball or a playing partners ball, and I find some balls in the woods, then I will pick them up. I won't pick one up that is in the rough when an adjacent hole is in play, but if there are no other balls and I am in the woods looking for a ball and I find a ball, then it gets picked up and put into the shag bag.

So, what, "finders keepers losers weepers, baby!". That's great.

 

Of course it's the OPs fault that he dropped them, so what? To compare some obviously lost sunglasses to a ball that is hit into the woods is just ridiculous.

 

I've left two clubs behind in the last month (strange since I haven't done it in probably 10 years). Thankfully, twice, someone realized my club wasn't their club to take, and turned them in both times.

[sam_5_0]

Same thing happened to me with a pair of half jacket oakleys just 3 weeks ago. Mine fell off the bag between the practice range and the putting green, noticed about 15 minutes later. No one turned them in. Times have changed my friend.

 

 

I can't beleive some posters have pulled the "it's your fault for dropping them" attitude. Sounds very similar to the drill Sgt. in Full Metal Jacket when Pyle left his footlocker unlocked.

 

If it wasn't for as$holes like you there wouldn't be any theivery in this world would there Private Pyle?

[JBinAZ]

Keeping what is not yours, without turning it in, is wrong.

 

Most everyone (once I would have said everyone), is taught this in Kindergarten!

 

Sorry for your loss.

[DLiver]

When my son was young, we would find things, and he would ask me if we could keep the item. He would protest "But we don't know who it belongs to!" I would point out that we knew who it DIDN'T belong to, and that was us.