Some years ago a certain Memphis, Tn., public golf course had been the scene of several armed robberies of golfers along a wooded area on the course. One day three young men were playing together when they were confronted by several armed punks who jumped out of the woods and demanded their wallets. The surprised golfers told the thugs that their wallets were in their golf bags and cautiously unzipped their sidepockets to get them. Instead, the 3 players produced guns and got the drop on the thugs. It seems that the brainless, idiot punks had tried to stick-up a threesome who just happend to be armed Memphis Police officers who were out there for just such a confrontation. I would have given 20 bucks to have seen the look on those thugs' faces. I do know that the safety of local golf courses took a mighty leap foward after that. ...Just a story I thought would amuse some of you. When Callaway or Titleist won't do, there is always Smith and Wesson........
If memory serves me right, it was at Davy Crockett Golf Course. I know there have been some similar incidents at Overton too. Memphis has just become a dangerous place to live,visit or do anything. I was born and raised there, and worked in Television news for 25 years, but moved to south Florida a couple of years ago. My wife's boss got fed up with the crime there after his personal attorney was shot and killed by a former client that lost a divorce case...so my wife's boss moved his management part of his company here to Sarasota. It has been the best thing I have ever done...she works, I am retired and play golf...not a bad deal....
Yeah... Crockett can be scary. I've been known to take my Glock out there with me on occasion. Since Galloway was redone I've been putting in a lot of time there.
I saw Galloway once while they were tearing all the beautiful giant oaks down....but have not seen it since it was finished. How does it look now and how does it play? I have payed there countless times since the early 1960s. I used to lose a lot of balls there and found a bunch too. Did they improve it with the redo? What do you think of if now? I used to live out east near Mendenhall and Walnut Grove and played, besides Galloway, Audubon and Fox Meadows a lot years ago. Those were some grand days for me playing golf.
I will be applying for my Concealed Permit here in Florida at the end of January. The rules state that one may not carry there weapon into any sporting event. Not sure if golf qualifies but all I will have to do is show them my swing and they will know that as far as I am concerned golf is not a sporting event.
Hi Murph...I have my Florida CW permit too, but fortunately Sarasota is not a big crime town, certainly not like Memphis. I was a reserve deputy sheriff there and also worked armed security with a company that only hired police officers, and I always carried a weapon when out and about. But here, I only feel the need when I am out at night or will be in some areas I know to be more dangerous. "Sporting event" refers to a formal event such as a baseball, basketball, football, hockey game, ect., where spectators usually pay admission. You out playing golf with friends would not come under that catagory. I think my golf swing would likely give someone the same opinion as yours...but it sure is nice to be on the course the day after Christmas in shorts and short sleeved shirt. I really DON'T miss the cold weather I moved from..I think if more of the guys would get their butts on a plane and come to south Florida for a few days of golf, they would really see what "winter" can really be like. POOP on cold weather...
There was a shooting at a golf course here in Hawaii earlier this year. Yes, don't believe that Hawaii is all hula dancers and people with Aloha shirts saying "Aloha" and "Mahalo." It had something to do with gambling between two organized crime groups. They met at the parking lot of a golf course here and when a dispute ensued, shots began to fire. A couple of them started running from the parking lot to the golf course and one person (not an innocent bystander) was shot and killed next to the first tee.
I could only imagine waiting teeing it up in the first hole only to see someone get shot right near you. Thank goodness everyone who wasn't involved stayed safe in the incident. They ended up flying a police helicopter there and evacuated the whole course.
Galloway is probably one of my fave tracks in the city. It's a par 70 now that rates around 69and change. There's sand and water in play on at least 9 holes. The practice green was redone and looks great. It's still 18 to walk 18, even after the renovation. Audobon is still pretty much the same course that it's always been except that the retired men that play there look down on pretty much everyone else and give us all headaches with their bad attitudes and painfully slow play. NTC, you should come up and play a round sometime. We could even meet down at Wedgewood....
I can believe that about Audobon. Some of those old codgers think they own that course. The last time I played out there with a friend, we had the same problems. Back in the mid to late 60s I had a college friend (Memphis State U., now of course the U of M), who lived on Park Ave. along the course. He said even back then those old farts were always hitting balls into his yard and even tried a couple of times to hit them across Park Avenue from his front yard. I think a 12 guage load of rock salt would have been called for...But anyway, I might be back up that way sometimes this next year...maybe we could try a round at Galloway, or even Wedgewood. I have never played there. If I drive a thousand miles from Sarasota to Memphis, you can bet I will have a set of clubs with me..
Keep in touch... I'd love to meet up for a round, food, drinks, etc.... For all of you out there that don't know the course, Park Ave. is a very busy street.... hitting a tee shot across it would require either a MASSIVE hook or the perfect bounce off the utility shed 100 yards off the tee box.
December 25th, 2004, 11:26 PM
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