Here are my golf clubs Help yourself!
Here are my golf clubs Help yourself!
Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2, and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.
Golfers tend to leave our bag of golf clubs outside, unattended, while they go into the clubhouse for lunch or head for the 19th hole after the round. What they are saying is, Here are my golf clubs Help yourself!
As 'Grouch' says in his grouchygolf. blog, “For some reason, there's a mutual feeling of trust among golfers at golf courses. It's like we're all soldiers waging war against a common enemy: the golf course. No golfer would dare to steal the weapons of their brothers in arms.”
Golf Blog by the Mel Sole Golf School.
Never Leave Clubs Unattended!
I love that and espouse that feeling myself. However, the rising trend of golf club theft is rapid and costly for all of your vulnerable souls. The total value of an average set of clubs today is approximately $2000. Criminals know that they can easily snag your clubs and sell them on eBay quite quickly.
Daylight Robbery!
Recently, at a course close to mine, two brazen thieves in an SUV pulled up to an untended cart that was sitting just outside the snack bar. The two players had stepped in to grab lunch to go. The criminals calmly lifted the clubs into their vehicles and drove off. Witnesses later said that they assumed the two men who removed the clubs were the equipment owners. This occurred at 11 am!
So, here's the deal. If one of you can't stay with the clubs, take them inside with you. Most restaurants and pro shops will accommodate this now.
NEVER leave your clubs in the open bed of your truck or your unlocked vehicle. I live in a fairly low-crime area, but the police report weekly includes stories of golf clubs taken from cars sitting in the owner's driveways or standing in an open garage. Clubs exposed is like saying, Here are my golf clubs Help yourself!
Here is a blog post by grouchygolfer.com that shows how prevalent this problem is.
If you had a suitcase stuffed with over $2,000 cash, would you ever leave it outside and unattended? Well, that's what happens all the time at golf courses around the world. Obviously, it's not cash, but it's something just as valuable: golf clubs.
Consider someone who carries the latest Callaway Golf clubs purchased at a leading golf retailer.
- X Tour 3-PW Iron Set w/ Steel Shaft: $899.99
- Calloway Big Bertha Fusion FT-3 Neutral Driver: $359.99
- Big Bertha Fusion Fairway 3 Wood: $299.99
- Big Bertha Fusion Fairway 5 Wood: $269.99
- Forged + Wedges - Chrome 56: $ 99.99
- Forged + Wedges - Chrome 60: $99.99
- White Steel 2 Ball Blade Putter: $169.99
- Hybrid 45 Stand Bag $169.99
- Grand Total: $2,369.92
Such a bag sits on the high-end of the price spectrum, but I see similar bags unattended at my home golf course all the time. For some reason, there's sort of a mutual feeling of trust among golfers at golf courses. It's like we're all soldiers waging war against a common enemy: the golf course. No golfer would dare steal the weapons of their brothers in arms.
Unsavory Characters.
Unfortunately, there are unsavory characters out there who exploit this camaraderie for personal gain. Golf club theft is nothing new, but the problem is now more common than ever before. One of the reasons is the rise in club prices due to high tech designs and exotic materials. But the main reason is the emergence of my favorite online marketplace, eBay. With eBay, criminals can sell "hot" clubs at premium prices in a couple of clicks.
But the problem recently gained national attention when USA Today reported that thieves stole the clubs of some police officers! Interestingly, the incident occurred last May at a police department golf tournament held at Santa Anita Golf Club, one of my local golf courses! The USA Today article also mentioned a robbery at my home course, Brookside golf course.
eBay.
I know the guys who work in the Brookside pro shop, so I asked them about the article. They confirmed that club theft has always been a problem and that eBay has made it worse. However, they said that since USA Today ran the article, they haven't had a single incident.
I was relieved since I had no idea that I lived in the golf club theft capital of the world (or at least it seemed that way when I read the article). Luckily, I have never been the victim of theft.
Here are some tips that I follow to remain theft-free:
- Never leave your golf bag unattended, especially outside. If you have to go inside, take your bag with you. Many on-course pro shops and restaurants allow you to bring your bag inside.
-
Watch for the "Fake Driver."
A common scam is the old driver switcheroo. The perpetrator takes an old and worthless driver and covers the clubhead with the headcover from the latest "hot" driver. He'll then hang around a golf course looking for an unattended bag containing the "hot" driver sheathed in an identical headcover. When no one is looking, he swaps the "fake" driver for the real one in a matter of seconds. The victim usually doesn't know that he's been swindled until he gets to the first tee. Ditch the fancy headcovers that came with your clubs and replace them with either generic or low-end headcovers to prevent this.
Could you leave me your comments on this subject?
Source: grouchygolf.com Mel Sole Golf School.
Pictures : LC Nottaasen Derek A
Thanks for reading - Here are my golf clubs Help yourself! Be careful with your expensive clubs!
Related Posts.
Key Distance to Practice to become a good putter!
.3 ways things can get ugly on the course!
Fantasy Characters from the PGA and LPGA Tours! I Love #2!
Practice “slamming” your putts.
Hit and Hold to be a better putter.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL, LIKE THIS VIDEO, SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND, LEAVE A COMMENT!