Vandals trash, cause damage at Gautier's Shell Landing Golf Club
By Warren Kulo | wkulo@al.com
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- With apologies to the writers of "Animal House," drunk and stupid is no way to play golf.
But that's exactly what a foursome did at Shell Landing Golf Club in Gautier Sunday, leaving behind a trail of beer cans strewn about the course and causing damage on the #8 green by driving a cart over the flagstick, breaking the stick and ripping the cup out of the hole.
Kenny Hughes, co-owner and CEO of Shell Landing, said the group's drunken escapade occurred late Sunday, sometime after 6 p.m. The damage was discovered the next morning by grounds crews.
It appears, however, the vandal golfers will be identified. Hughes said by tracking credit cards used to pay for the round of golf, he has already identified the first of the four and contacted the suspect by phone.
"I called him and left a message," Hughes said. "At least he had the guts to call me. He said he didn't do it, but didn't want to tell me who the others were. But I'll know, because the credit cards are linked together in the group. I'll know exactly who was in that group."
Hughes said he hasn't spoken to law enforcement yet. Under Mississippi law, he would have the option of filing charges against the four for misdemeanor malicious mischief, vandalism and/or disorderly conduct.
"I have to find out more information on the other three," Hughes said. "I'll know who they are soon and I want to call each of them personally. I still have a lot of investigation to do."
Hughes said it would be difficult to pinpoint an estimate on the damage and labeled it more of a "major nuisance."
He also said it was disheartening to have people behave that way at his course.
"I told the (suspect) I talked with yesterday there are a lot of people who work very hard to make this golf course as good as it is," Hughes said. "I've spent 6 1/2 days a week here for the past 18 years and now that I am an owner I take it even more personally.
"I put out a fair rate (to play). Maybe too inexpensive. That's what you get sometimes when you do that. It's very disheartening. It's more principle than anything. This is supposed to be a gentlemen's game. To act like that is childish. Maybe these guys are children in their 20s who don't understand the ramifications."
Hughes said if incidents like this were commonplace, he'd be forced to have each golfer sign his/her name for their golf cart, each of which is numbered.
"Everybody would have to jump through hoops because of a few bad apples," he said.
Hughes declined to identify the one member of the group he has identified.
"He told me he didn't know what he was supposed to do -- tackle someone?" Hughes said. "I told him if he's bringing those people out here and they're his friends, that shows he's hanging around with the wrong crowd, because he's going to be guilty by association."
Hughes posted the incident to the club's Facebook page, where as of last night it had drawn more than 7,000 views.
"It's amazing," he said of the interest. "I've never had a post of more than about 1,800 to 2,000 -- and that's for good news, like kids winning a state championship."
Hughes added that even if he ultimately decides to not file charges against the group, he'll still take some satisfaction from identifying them.
"I'll know they did it and they'll know I know they did it," he said.