Ever sneak onto a golf course?

[Tommy Williamsen]

After reading that story about sneaking onto Maidstone I thought about the times I sneaked on to some courses. I'll tell the stories as this unfolds.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I actually have three stories about sneaking on to some tough to get clubs. About 1990 I was on a quest to play as many top 100 courses as I could. I was visiting friends in Phoenix and wanted to play Desert Highlands and Troon. My pro called Troon and they were very kind and I played. Desert Highlands wasn't so accommodating. I did have a friend who was working on a house in the community so he got me in the gate. I drove to the club and went in the pro shop and told the pro what a great course it was. I asked home where he was from and where he had worked previously. As it turned out we had a couple of friends in common. It was then that I mentioned that I left my three iron out on the course. "Would it be alright if I drove out to fetch it?" "Of course," was his gracious reply. I drove to the second hole and played in, sat on the patio, and played the 18 hole putting course. I walked to the car, thanked the pro, and left. I got his number and he said if I was in the area again to give him a call.

[Kalen Braley]

Interesting story Tommy,

He didn't wonder why it took 3-4 hours to fetch your club?   

Kalen

[Eric Smith]

I worked at Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island in the early 90s. One day during my first couple of weeks there it rained really really hard and they shut down the Trent Jones course that afternoon and everyone went home except for maybe one guy in the shop. I lived on the course and was one of the guys they sent home when it closed so my roommate and I jumped on golf carts and drove out to the course, stopping at our house to get our fishing rods and went further on out to the lagoon on the 9th hole where a lot of fish were being caught at high tide in those days. We had a cooler of beer and probably a doob - caught a few sheepshead and a blue crab or two when out of nowhere came PD Security with their lights flashing on the patrol car. God that was embarrassing right there in front of the old Hilton Head Beach & Tennis complex. They escorted us back to the golf shop where the Head Pro and the Director of Golf were waiting to chew us a new one. So after that we only fished out there every other week.

[jeffwarne]

As previouslu chronicled here, my evening summer loop was 13,14, 11,12 at ANGC-once working up the courage to play the entire back nine except 18 green and 10 tee shot. There were no holes or flags, but I knew where the Sunday pins were


Eric I can relate to your PD story, going out in a late night blaze of glory there after I accepted a job at Long Cove.
I took the fall for multiple conspirators
The best was when the DOG(Steve ?) called down to the cart barn after a report from security and a co-conspirator answered the phone  not knowing it was the boss."Houston-this is mission control-we have liftoff from the launch pad"
Chip Pellerin's(future DOG) parting words to me "Well you weren't the first person to drive a cart down the clubhouse steps-but you'll definitely be the last" (they were slated to be demolished a week later)
We actually parted on good terms as I lived on the course and continued to play there quite frequently with the golf staff.

[Brad Tufts]

Went out to Harrison Hills in Indiana one Monday or Tuesday afternoon.  Bad weather was predicted, but it turned out great.  Sign on the pro shop door said "course closed" but that didn't stop me.  Played a free 18, had a great round..."wanted" to slip a couple 20s under the door but didn't work.

A minor sneak but great!

[Bill Shamleffer]

my brothers and I snuck on a few of the privates?  One of the tricks was to play at about 5:00 pm on a practice day for say the U.S. Am qualifier.

But the best was A certain McDonald/Raynor.  Probably played it about 1/2 dozen times, always starting at #6.  Once played on a Very warm Dec. day, with no yardage and no pins.

Sure helped a few years later when caddying in the U.S. Open Sectional Q, and my guy was medalist, and we both went to Medinah (1990).

Now I only sneak on to putting greens.

[Jeff Fortson]

I was 17 years old, the year was 1991, the course was The Old Course.  Played a morning round on the Old, told my dad I was going to go find a place to chip and putt, and maybe play the Jubilee.  It was late in the evening and there was no one in sight, anywhere.  Each golf course appeared completely empty, no staff, nothing. I walk past the R&A and the old caddy building and head toward the Ladies Putting Course.  I walk directly to the 2nd tee and decide starting on #2 was a little too ballsy so I walk down the right side of #2 until I reach the 3rd tee.  Bang! I'm going to squeeze in some free holes on the Old Course!  I make a cool par and off to the 4th tee.  Bang!  I'm in hog heaven.  I start walking down the 4th fairway and I see a huge man on a moped coming down the path between the Old and New courses in my direction.  I assume this is an employee so I walk wide of and past my ball as if it isn't mine.  The big man stops and says, "Lad, are you lost?"  I say, "No. I am pretty sure I left my wedge out here somewhere this morning and I figured I'd look for it.  Didn't want to leave my clubs unattended so I brought them with me."  He says, "Ok lad, good luck finding yer' wedge.  If I should come across it I'll put it in the starter shack for ye."  I said, "Thank you sir!"  He starts the moped up and says "And don't forget yer ball.  That was a fine drive, don't let me see you hit another!" I was mortified.  Walked back to town in total shame.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Interesting story Tommy,

He didn't wonder why it took 3-4 hours to fetch your club?   

Kalen

No, he figured I was a guest. I learned that if you act like you belong questions aren't asked.

[Brian Bowman]

I have done this on Monday's at several of the finer courses in the Louisville area when I was a freshman in college on Monday's.  I was working on a ground's crew at the time, and even met some other superintendents who never seemed to care. (Louisville Country Club, Hurstbourne Country Club, and Audubon).


Had an older gentlemen on our staff as a mechanic at the time, and he said that you could walk onto Valhalla on Monday's, but I never tried it.

[JLahrman]

No, he figured I was a guest. I learned that if you act like you belong questions aren't asked.

Precisely.

The answer to the original question is hell yes. Not onto any real courses of note, but when I was a young man my brother and I could tell you proper sneaking procedures, and level of sneak difficulty, for quite a few clubs. We always fixed more ball marks and divots than we made; I rationalized it by saying we were helping out the grounds crew.

I haven't done it in a long time, but sneaking on becomes easier as you get older. A pair of early 20s dudes on the course? Suspicious. A 40-something out on the course? Probably somebody's guest. Or maybe he's a member that I haven't met yet. I don't want to embarrass myself. I guess I'll just wave and head on up my own fairway.

Avoid the staff, and you're in good shape.

[Bill_McBride]

I went to City College of San Francisco my first two years of college.  I met a dissolute young man who suggested we hop the fence at San Francisco Golf Club and so we did, near the 7th tee after parking on a neighborhood street.  We played five or six holes until we were apprehended by the staff and sent on our way back across the chain link fence.  We never did see another golfer.   I had never seen such fairways bunkers before, although I was caddying at the Meadow Ckub those days. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I was 17 years old, the year was 1991, the course was The Old Course.  Played a morning round on the Old, told my dad I was going to go find a place to chip and putt, and maybe play the Jubilee.  It was late in the evening and there was no one in sight, anywhere.  Each golf course appeared completely empty, no staff, nothing. I walk past the R&A and the old caddy building and head toward the Ladies Putting Course.  I walk directly to the 2nd tee and decide starting on #2 was a little too ballsy so I walk down the right side of #2 until I reach the 3rd tee.  Bang! I'm going to squeeze in some free holes on the Old Course!  I make a cool par and off to the 4th tee.  Bang!  I'm in hog heaven.  I start walking down the 4th fairway and I see a huge man on a moped coming down the path between the Old and New courses in my direction.  I assume this is an employee so I walk wide of and past my ball as if it isn't mine.  The big man stops and says, "Lad, are you lost?"  I say, "No. I am pretty sure I left my wedge out here somewhere this morning and I figured I'd look for it.  Didn't want to leave my clubs unattended so I brought them with me."  He says, "Ok lad, good luck finding yer' wedge.  If I should come across it I'll put it in the starter shack for ye."  I said, "Thank you sir!"  He starts the moped up and says "And don't forget yer ball.  That was a fine drive, don't let me see you hit another!" I was mortified.  Walked back to town in total shame.

That's a great story and good for the guy on the moped. He had a sense of humor.

[Peter Pallotta]

I went to City College of San Francisco my first two years of college.  I met a dissolute young man who suggested we hop the fence at San Francisco Golf Club and so we did, near the 7th tee after parking on a neighborhood street.  We played five or six holes until we were apprehended by the staff and sent on our way back across the chain link fence.  We never did see another golfer.   I had never seen such fairways bunkers before, although I was caddying at the Meadow Ckub those days.

You make it sound like your only mistake was running with a bad crowd, whereas me thinks that maybe back then YOU were the wrong crowd....

[Philippe Binette]

Don't Know if it's sneaking onto a course...
A sunday 10am fraserburgh.... Walk to the clubhouse... Couldn't find a way to get in the clubhouse, doors were locked or needed a code !?!


Decided to go to the first tee across the road, it looked empty, we said let's go a play fast in between groups... Turned around the corner of a little dune, there a foursome on the tee... We thought, we re toasted....
Someone in the group in front goes: you guys are only two? well go ahead !


Let's say we were happy to hit good drive off the first tee

[Tom Fagerli]

Northland CC in Duluth MN offered many access points to young enterprising trespassers in the 1970s. A friend was notorious for parking near the 2nd tee and playing 2-17 many an evening. However. One evening he was well under par and went down 18 and then marched to the 1st tee. Ev Stuart, the longtime pro, whom I Suspect knew of this fellow's frequent rounds, could not abide by this brazenness and tossed him off.

[John McCarthy]

If one wants to play an exclusive club in Chicago land, I am told one has few problems playing all 18 if one is willing to tee of earlyish on Thanksgiving morning, assuming the cups are still cut.

[Ed Tilley]

When I was at university in Bristol, there was a subsidised university membership scheme at a local course called Henbury. I joined in my first year but decided it wasn't worth the money in my second. There was an upper level with 10 or 11 holes and a lower level with the rest which I often used to sneak on in the evening. The one I do remember most, however, is the one time me and a friend decided we'd try and chance a full 18. After a few holes there was a bit of a back up and the 2 ball behind asked if we'd mind them joining us. It turns out that these 2 were the secretary and the captain which gave us a bit of a shock! We got away with it as they just asked us if we were members through the university and we said yes. We were dressed appropriately, were clearly students, and both were reasonable players so why wouldn't they think we were members - you didn't get a tag or any proof of membership if you were a university member which I'm sure has changed now.

[Brad Tufts]

A friend of mine who used to work at a club in FL snuck onto a certain famed club in Juno Beach about a decade ago on Christmas Day.  Parked nearby, walked down the beach, started on #2, waved to one mower-guy during his round, played #1 to finish, back to the beach and the car.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not sure if I should post this or not, but it is semi-related...( as a disclaimer this was before I started playing golf) 

I used to be a Mormon and I did my Mormon mission in the Brisbane area of Australia.  In one of my assigned areas, every now and then, at dusk, we'd be riding our bikes home past Logan City Golf club, (not sure if anyone's played it)....and we found that the back side of the bunkers made excellent launching points for jump...and the sand a nice soft landing!! 

I'd like to think we didn't do any bad damage to the course, but certainly not proud of it in retrospect.

[Tim Gallant]

When I first started playing the game at 11, we used to carry 2/3 clubs, and would sneak onto the 13th hole at Needwood Golf Course. We would always go in the evening. Usually we could play a few holes no problem. There was a three hole loop that would bring us back to our starting point, and we used to have serious competitions.


Occasionally we had to leg it from a passing marshall, but in general it was a blast to play!

[Terry Lavin]

When my brothers and I were just learning the game, our dad used to drop us off at a local muni on his way to his job as a Coca Cola truck driver. We would throw our bags over the fence, climb over and play until we were caught. After a while they just let us play for a couple hours. Free golf!

[Kevin_Reilly]

As a kid we used to sneak on to some of the SF public courses...at Golden Gate Park and Lincoln, you'd wait until the starter shack closed and then hustle to the first tee.  At Harding, you'd walk from the parking lot to the second tee (cutting across the 9th fairway).  One day my friends and I decided we wanted to play the back nine at Harding (and there didn't appear to be anyone on the 9th hole so we had a buffer built in), so we walked from the parking lot to the area around the 9th green, and then casually strolled over from the 9th green to the 10th tee....all acting like we had just finished 9.  One of the guys teed his ball up on the tee when the starter called over the PA system "Will the group on the 10th tee please come to the starter".  We were a bit startled, but all decided that all we had to do was play it cool and stick to the story that we had played the first nine (even though we didn't have receipts or anything).  We walked into the shop and the guy asked us what we were doing on the 10th tee.  We stuck to our story, and then we were told something unexpected...that day, for some unknown reason, EVERY group was being sent off the 10th tee first.    So essentially we had walked out to the "first" tee that day.   


I can't remember whether we left with our tails between our legs or whether we tried to play Fleming or something similar. 

[Ryan Coles]

I'm sure I'm curmudgeonly on this topic but I see it as theft. No different to reaching over the bar and helping yourself to some of the takings.

It is a problem at mid to lower end golf and with this being inexpensive, there is no real excuse.

My moral compass possibly gives a pass the more expensive / exclusive / out of reach the course in question is but still theft nonetheless.

[jeffwarne]

I'm sure I'm curmudgeonly on this topic but I see it as theft.

My moral compass possibly gives a pass the more expensive / exclusive / out of reach the course in question is but still theft nonetheless.

Do you think ANGC will provide amnesty to me given that I turned in a series badge I found on Thursday this year near the 7th tee?