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

[AcesAZ]

It could EASILY be a course employee as well. I've worked at courses before and heck if you lose a club or sunglasses the grounds crew is just as likely to keep it as anyone. Now maybe someone did turn them in, maybe one of the proshop guys says. These are nice, maybe I'll keep them. Either way when you leave something behind you are at risk of never seeing it again. No surprise at all.

[stage1350]

Sorry, but the only person to blame is the OP. The fact that someone else walked with your shades sucks. But you can no longer depend on the kindness of strangers to make up for your mistake.

 

I've stuff that I've "accidentally" forgotten too that wasn't turned in. I've also had clubs stolen out of my garage when the door was left open. That's my fault too. The SOB that BROKE INTO MY HOUSE, I'll blame him.

 

Buy another pair of sunglasses and try not to lose them this time.

 

Lesson learned.

[Freddy300]

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.

 

I agree and if I found something, I would turn it in. I found a crappy wedge, put it on the cart to take back to the clubhouse but the guy came up and asked us about a lost club and we turned it right over. A ball I found in the woods when looking for my ball is fair game. If the guy was too lazy to look for it then it is not "stealing."

 

I think we all agree about turning things in.

 

I also think people who lose stuff bear some responsibility for not being careful. It reminds me of Daly now claiming Butch "ruined his life for the short term" based on Butch saying Daly wanted to spend time with Jim Beam. Daly causes his own problems - he needs to be responsible for his actions.

 

If you lose stuff then you are partially responsible. We hope people will do the right thing, but people are fools if they expect that everyone is honest - even on a golf course or especially on a golf course. Sad but true. Yes we hope other people have the same standards and know right from wrong but they don't. The world can be a pretty cold place and people will burn you.

 

Golf courses attract drunks, action junkies, ex-jocks down on their luck, pimps and degenerate gamblers as well as some gentlemen and ladies. If you think you are playing on the course with Boy Scouts then you are wrong.

[Freddy300]

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.

 

We agree but don't expect people at golf courses or anywhere else in this world to be honorable. You will be disappointed - yes it sucks but it is reality.

 

There are a lot of drunks and gamblers at golf courses to start with. Some golfers cheat on their scrores and a few on their wives. They sell counterfeit clubs on eBay.

 

If "gentlemen golfers" want to get drunk, chain smoke and gamble they should take it to a casino or a wh*rehouse not a golf course.

[xan_user]

Last year while playing my local par 3 muni, I found this perfectly good lawn mower just sitting there... I mean how was I to know someone had lost it? I thought they didn't want it anymore! I sure wouldn't leave a machine like that sitting around near some bushes with the keys in it, if i still wanted it.

 

Now They won't allow even my kids at the course till 2035. You think they'd understand since i added 3 par 4's to their carp course for 'em.

 

:man_in_love:

 

Sucks.

and im voting they were turned in, and some underpaid cart boy has a new pair of shades.

[777twist]

I've also had clubs stolen out of my garage when the door was left open. That's my fault too. The SOB that BROKE INTO MY HOUSE, I'll blame him.

 

 

I think this is a different issue... Golf is supposed to be about HONOR, if you can't trust people on the golf course to have some honor, then all hope is lost!

 

Twist

[JeffreySpicoli]

I've also had clubs stolen out of my garage when the door was left open. That's my fault too. The SOB that BROKE INTO MY HOUSE, I'll blame him.

 

 

I think this is a different issue... Golf is supposed to be about HONOR, if you can't trust people on the golf course to have some honor, then all hope is lost!

 

Twist

 

Life is supposed to be about honor, too. So according to your logic, all hope was lost a long long time ago.

[teejaywhy]

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.

 

A simple and perfectly expressed lesson. Thanks for doing your part to pass along a higher standard.

[donzo]

Numerous times I have found items on the golf courses... wedges, towels, glasses.

Every time I either find its owner or I turn it in to the clubhouse. I've left several clubs on the course

over my lifetime (some of which I miss BTW), and NOONE has every turned them in.

 

I can't control anyone else's actions but I can control mine. And their actions will not influence mine.

 

 

Sorry about the soapbox.

[Freddy300]

If the PGA had instituted steroids testing 20 years ago then you would have a lot fewer "riff raff" fans on golf courses.

[RoscoeCoaltrain]

Taking balls found OB is fine. The minute you pass on to the next shot or hole is the time you lose your right to claim a lost golf ball.

 

As for other items found, people SHOULD attempt to find the owner, or turn in to the clubhouse. For clubs, this is the prime reason to get stickers made up with your name and cell phone number on them. It's a quick return right on the course these days.

 

For the OP, as for blaming someone else for stealing your sunglasses, you are off base. You should be blaming yourself for dropping them instead of trying to pass it off as stealing. If it were me, I would give it a 50/50 chance of getting it back from the groups behind me, at best. You can't expect to scatter your stuff all over the course and have every other golfer track you down to return things. I recently spent 25 minutes trying to find the owner of a driver headcover on the course only to have every person tell me it wasn't theirs. You feel like an idiot for wasting your effort and lost golf time. I am all for turning in everything found to the clubhouse as it's the right thing to do, but don't expect me to waste my golf time tracking down the owner more than the group ahead of me. Chalk it up as a lesson about taking responsibility for your own actions.

[imsocrabby]

I took of a pair of Maui Jim's off on the range, set them on my bag and forgot they were there....left the range and headed to the tee...never thought twice. The sun popped out and realized the mistake. I checked in the shop after the round and nothing was turned in.

 

I checked back quite often...nothing.

 

 

I have to say though....I work at a different course now. The difference is night and day. I can't go two hours without a member turning in someone's lost clubs, headcovers, sunglasses, car keys, watches, wallets, divot tools, range finders, etc etc. Everything from high end wedges to outdated Ping Zing's. About a month ago one of our outside guys comes walking in with a Rolex that was found on the range. How's that for honesty?

 

On the flip side, some kid lost his wallet somewhere on the course...His Mommy called in 2 or 3 times a day for days on end accusing everyone of stealing her kids wallet. She told us we needed to question everyone who worked that day because she just couldn't imagine that it would just disappear. She just knew one of the outside kids stole it.. A few days go by and some member walks in and says he found this wallet and it was out on the course a few days ago...he tossed it in his cart (personal cart) and forgot all about it.

 

 

It had the kids driver's license, debit card, library card and 17 bucks. When his Mommy came to pick it up....she accused us again....no mention of her idiot son's inability to keep track of his stuff.

 

 

Times have changed. But it still goes back to how you were raised and the values you hold.

 

Sorry about your shades...but that's a long shelf life for glasses...you're due for some new ones!

[mjc694]

I posted a while back about playing golf with a young military man who had "FOUND" a scotty cameron putter the day before at this same course. I suggested to him that he didnt look to me to be a theif. He told me he wasnt....i asked him if he would have kept that putter for his own if he had "FOUND" it in the proshop instead of on the practice green.....after 9 holes of discussion, he finally turned it in as we made the turn to the back side.

 

People arent what they used to be. I also keep my eye on my equipment as much as possible, and do what I can to make sure the people in my group dont leave anything behind.

[kexzen]

Left my brand new Nike wedge on the fourth hole once at my home course. Noticed it was gone when I got home, went back and never found it again. Someone just got a new wegde. Its been almost three months and no sign of anything.

[Mizgoodie]

take some responsibility,, you Left it behind or forgot about it,,,,that is your fault sunglasses or clubs, if they meant anything to you you wont lose them on the course. been playing golf for 15 years and have never lost anything on the course,,,, why wear sunglasses on you hat put them in your bag if their not on your eyes ..... don't expect things take care of things yourself ,,, you never know people are afraid to pick it up and turn it in because you could come back looking for it and think they were stealing it, i just look at clubs left on the ground and go how could you leave 300 dollars on the ground and walk by... IMO people need to lay off the sauce and less thing would get left behind

[fatmouse]

you need one of those dorky sunglass neck attachment thingies

[Merlin_T]

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.

 

A simple and perfectly expressed lesson. Thanks for doing your part to pass along a higher standard.

 

x 2 :man_in_love:

[Freddy300]

Taking balls found OB is fine. The minute you pass on to the next shot or hole is the time you lose your right to claim a lost golf ball.

 

As for other items found, people SHOULD attempt to find the owner, or turn in to the clubhouse. For clubs, this is the prime reason to get stickers made up with your name and cell phone number on them. It's a quick return right on the course these days.

 

For the OP, as for blaming someone else for stealing your sunglasses, you are off base. You should be blaming yourself for dropping them instead of trying to pass it off as stealing. If it were me, I would give it a 50/50 chance of getting it back from the groups behind me, at best. You can't expect to scatter your stuff all over the course and have every other golfer track you down to return things. I recently spent 25 minutes trying to find the owner of a driver headcover on the course only to have every person tell me it wasn't theirs. You feel like an idiot for wasting your effort and lost golf time. I am all for turning in everything found to the clubhouse as it's the right thing to do, but don't expect me to waste my golf time tracking down the owner more than the group ahead of me. Chalk it up as a lesson about taking responsibility for your own actions.

 

Good post. The other thing about golf is concentration. Rocco, bless him, can tell jokes and chat with the crowd but most of us are trying to concentrate when we play to make good shots.

 

We are not out there to play Lost & Found. Anytime you see something someone left behind you have to worry about: wasting your time, tracking the owner down, holding people up behind you, getting accused of trying to steal their club or some other attitude by the owner who was too lazy to keep track of their stuff. I will turn stuff in but people need to talke care of thier property.

 

It seems like people who lose balls or clubs and you try to help have an attitude.

[ZBigStick]

It seems that we have steadily become a 'me first' society. People don't really care about others, on the road, in restaurants or on the course. It is not all that hard to do the right thing.

 

My wife left behind Oakleys twice and in both instances when realizing where they were, the employees of the establishments could really care less about retrieving them even though the last time it was less then five minutes after leaving them.

 

Oakley was named for founder Jim Janard's dog, but unlike his dog, those sunglasses do not come back to their owner.

 

Solution; use crappy equipment that nobody wants. (not really a good option)

[IndyIN]

Taking balls found OB is fine. The minute you pass on to the next shot or hole is the time you lose your right to claim a lost golf ball.

 

As for other items found, people SHOULD attempt to find the owner, or turn in to the clubhouse. For clubs, this is the prime reason to get stickers made up with your name and cell phone number on them. It's a quick return right on the course these days.

 

For the OP, as for blaming someone else for stealing your sunglasses, you are off base. You should be blaming yourself for dropping them instead of trying to pass it off as stealing. If it were me, I would give it a 50/50 chance of getting it back from the groups behind me, at best. You can't expect to scatter your stuff all over the course and have every other golfer track you down to return things. I recently spent 25 minutes trying to find the owner of a driver headcover on the course only to have every person tell me it wasn't theirs. You feel like an idiot for wasting your effort and lost golf time. I am all for turning in everything found to the clubhouse as it's the right thing to do, but don't expect me to waste my golf time tracking down the owner more than the group ahead of me. Chalk it up as a lesson about taking responsibility for your own actions.

 

Good post. The other thing about golf is concentration. Rocco, bless him, can tell jokes and chat with the crowd but most of us are trying to concentrate when we play to make good shots.

 

We are not out there to play Lost & Found. Anytime you see something someone left behind you have to worry about: wasting your time, tracking the owner down, holding people up behind you, getting accused of trying to steal their club or some other attitude by the owner who was too lazy to keep track of their stuff. I will turn stuff in but people need to talke care of thier property.

 

It seems like people who lose balls or clubs and you try to help have an attitude.

 

 

To me it's very simple... find a club/sun glasses/whatever, turn it in. I don't think anyone is asking to be tracked down (at least any reasonable person), just turn it in.

 

I also don't think the OP said anything about his lost glasses being someone else's fault, as many of you suggest (no edits to his original post). He said that picking up someone's glasses and not turning them in makes them nothing more than a thief.

 

Trying to rationalize your behavior (i.e it was the other persons fault for losing it) is wrong and you know it.

[Giantbear]

Its kind of simple, do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you. If everyone followed this, we would live in a better world. Find something not yours, pick it up and at the least turn it in to the pro shop. I have found everything from glasses to headcovers to clubs to hats to watches. Not one of them went home with me.

[bepier]

Anyone tried the ClubWRX Extreme X-Caps?

 

ClubWRX X-Cap w/ sunglasses holders

[larrybud]

There ARE some good people out there. Besides my 2 clubs being turned in, a month ago I accidentally left my wallet at Kroger. I took it out getting ready to pay, then I decided to help out and bag the groceries myself. Totally lost concentration and left it there. I was outside with my bags when the girl came running after me with my wallet.

 

At a bar once and thought I gave the bartender $5. Turned out a 20 was in the mess of bills. She came to me a couple minutes later and said "You probably didn't mean to give me this". I thanked her and tipped her nicely.

 

Finally, the best was when I was at a Home Depot. Bought a new grill, and I asked the guy if I took the grill out of the box, would it fit in my car? He said no problem. So I'm in the parking lot, freezing cold (Oh, it was Mother's day too!), trying to get this monsterous thing in my car. No way it was going to fit. A guy came by asked if I needed help. We tried to fit it in my car, but no go. He asked where I lived (about 7 or 8 minutes away), and he offered to take the grill to my house (he had a pick up). I thought he was nuts, who would go out of their way like this? I thanked him. He took the grill to my house, and even helped me carry it up on my deck. I offered to give him $20 but he refused. Totally got me out of a jam, and I try to remember that act of goodness as much as possible.

[mjc694]

There ARE some good people out there. Besides my 2 clubs being turned in, a month ago I accidentally left my wallet at Kroger. I took it out getting ready to pay, then I decided to help out and bag the groceries myself. Totally lost concentration and left it there. I was outside with my bags when the girl came running after me with my wallet.

 

At a bar once and thought I gave the bartender $5. Turned out a 20 was in the mess of bills. She came to me a couple minutes later and said "You probably didn't mean to give me this". I thanked her and tipped her nicely.

 

Finally, the best was when I was at a Home Depot. Bought a new grill, and I asked the guy if I took the grill out of the box, would it fit in my car? He said no problem. So I'm in the parking lot, freezing cold (Oh, it was Mother's day too!), trying to get this monsterous thing in my car. No way it was going to fit. A guy came by asked if I needed help. We tried to fit it in my car, but no go. He asked where I lived (about 7 or 8 minutes away), and he offered to take the grill to my house (he had a pick up). I thought he was nuts, who would go out of their way like this? I thanked him. He took the grill to my house, and even helped me carry it up on my deck. I offered to give him $20 but he refused. Totally got me out of a jam, and I try to remember that act of goodness as much as possible.

 

I am a big believer in Karma!! nice story.

[777twist]

Finally, the best was when I was at a Home Depot. Bought a new grill, and I asked the guy if I took the grill out of the box, would it fit in my car? He said no problem. So I'm in the parking lot, freezing cold (Oh, it was Mother's day too!), trying to get this monsterous thing in my car. No way it was going to fit. A guy came by asked if I needed help. We tried to fit it in my car, but no go. He asked where I lived (about 7 or 8 minutes away), and he offered to take the grill to my house (he had a pick up). I thought he was nuts, who would go out of their way like this? I thanked him. He took the grill to my house, and even helped me carry it up on my deck. I offered to give him $20 but he refused. Totally got me out of a jam, and I try to remember that act of goodness as much as possible.

 

So wait... did you ride with him?

 

Cuz if you trusted this guy to take your grill home, you must live in a small town. Try that in a big city and you may be sitting at a red light while your grill is hauling a** down the street!!!

 

But good on the guy for helping you out.

[jeffinflorida]

I have a story for you. I was practicing on the chipping green of my home course when I was hit in the face by a ball someone hit WAY left on the 9th hole (a Top Flight of course). I stood there in amazement as the a*****e who hit the shot drove by me after finishing the hole without so much as a sorry and yes he had to see me hit the ground. Anyway I went up to the club house to take a look in the mirror and kind of get myself together and I go back to the chipping green and my shag bag is gone. You've got to be kidding me. No one turned it in to the club house. It wasn't at the starters building. None of the cart boys saw it. It was GONE. Now that was just wrong.

 

Jeff

[phil75070]

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.

 

Stealing may be as old as humanity, and most of us have a set of clubs, not including, balls, tees, rangefinders/GPS, and other miscellaneous items sitting there at a value of probably over $1500 tempting someone who is inclined to steal, but golfers are supposed to be "honorable" people in comparison to others.

[Freddy300]

Finally, the best was when I was at a Home Depot. Bought a new grill, and I asked the guy if I took the grill out of the box, would it fit in my car? He said no problem. So I'm in the parking lot, freezing cold (Oh, it was Mother's day too!), trying to get this monsterous thing in my car. No way it was going to fit. A guy came by asked if I needed help. We tried to fit it in my car, but no go. He asked where I lived (about 7 or 8 minutes away), and he offered to take the grill to my house (he had a pick up). I thought he was nuts, who would go out of their way like this? I thanked him. He took the grill to my house, and even helped me carry it up on my deck. I offered to give him $20 but he refused. Totally got me out of a jam, and I try to remember that act of goodness as much as possible.

 

So wait... did you ride with him?

 

Cuz if you trusted this guy to take your grill home, you must live in a small town. Try that in a big city and you may be sitting at a red light while your grill is hauling a** down the street!!!

 

But good on the guy for helping you out.

 

Good point. His profile says Michigan. I have been to Grand Rapids and the people are super. I think some of this is regional and cultural. People in the midwest and parts of the south are probably used to more honesty. People in other regions are probably wary of rip offs out there.

 

I think people at private clubs are probably a bit more honest then some people at a muni course. On a private or semi-private club - the people often know each other.

 

Someone mentioned talking to their child about things not belonging to them. I think we all agree. You also teach your kids that if they leave their bike or toys in the yard that someone might steal them and that children need to be responsible and careful with their possessions. We all lose things but don't be suprised when someone walks off with it. It stinks but it is reality.

[JeffreySpicoli]

Stealing may be as old as humanity, and most of us have a set of clubs, not including, balls, tees, rangefinders/GPS, and other miscellaneous items sitting there at a value of probably over $1500 tempting someone who is inclined to steal, but golfers are supposed to be "honorable" people in comparison to others.

 

Golfers may "supposed" to be more honorable but golfers as a group are no more & no less honorable than humanity in general.

 

I suppose some enjoy the fantasy that golfers are somehow more honorable & moral. But I'm not sure what this fantasy will get you other than disappointment.

[Gungagalunga]

Are there deer on your course? because if so there is one hot buck roaming around...