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this is a course i practice & play at quite a bit....old school vs. new school isn't going very well in our sport! unbelievable
Florida Times Union
Posted: April 30, 2012 - 11:01am | Updated: April 30, 2012 - 6:08pm
By Jim Schoettler
A fierce battle erupted Saturday on the 18th green of the Jacksonville Beach Municipal Golf Course, but it had nothing to do with winning.
Police arrested a 61-year-old Jacksonville man and charged him with slamming his golf cart into a group of bachelor partygoers and then whacking one with his golf club, leading to a brawl ended by other stunned golfers and police.
"It was some guy who must have been having a bad day," said Murdock Hampe, 27, who suffered a badly swollen leg when hit by the golf cart and a long knot when a golf club was broken over his head.
James Alonzo Hines of the 11500 block of Young Road was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, an arrest report said. Hines, who a witness said was bloodied in the brawl, was jailed and later released. No other arrests occurred.
Hines could not be reached for comment today.
Hampe, 27, of Jacksonville Beach and Michael Hankin, 25, of Hawaii were injured in the attack. Hampe said he was treated at a local hospital, while Hankin was treated at the scene.
The victims were among six friends celebrating the May 5 wedding of buddy Donald Salsbery. Hampe said the group, some of whom had just learned how to golf, had a few drinks at a nearby bar and joined Salsbery for the mid-afternoon golf outing at his request. Hampe said none of them was intoxicated.
The other group – two older men and two older women – were golfing behind the partygoers, said witness Justin Ravel. Ravel, who saw the initial confrontation from the 18th tee, said one of the women told him they had become incensed with the younger golfers driving on the greens and holding up their game.
"She said they weren't playing the game right and that clearly ticked [Hines' party] them off," Ravel said.
Hines' arrest report said an argument between the groups involved the younger golfers driving, drinking and "malingering" on the greens.
But Hampe said his group was behaving under the watchful eye of a golf course ranger and had every right to be there. He said they were neither drunk nor driving recklessly.
"It's a public course and we paid just like everybody else," Hampe said.
A Times-Union reporter attempted to reach a golf course official Monday, but only got voice mail.
Hampe said he was sitting in a golf cart when shouting erupted between the two groups from a distance. He said Hines then began hitting golf balls at them from about 200 yards away.
One of the balls was heaved back at Hines, who then hopped in his loaded golf cart and headed for the group, police and witnesses said.
Ravel said he heard the shouting, saw a golf ball fly back and forth and then watched as Hines drove into the group.
"He drove the cart as fast as it could go," Ravel said.
Hampe said Salsbery shouted a warning that Hines was driving toward them. Hampe said he jumped out of his cart just before Hines' cart ran over his leg and slammed into Hankin, pinning him against another cart.
"He ran right over my buddy and caught me, too," Hampe said. "He went full bore. I never saw anybody use a golf cart as a weapon."
Hampe said he was then struck by the golf club and saw Hines grab for another.
"I was blown away," Hampe said.
Ravel said he arrived about that time to see Hines and a companion holding clubs over their heads and their female partners also brandishing clubs.
"I grabbed the [mens'] clubs and told them to put the clubs down," Ravel said.
Hampe said his friends jumped on Hines to protect him and the group tumbled into a sand trap. Police arrived moments later.
Hampe said at one point Hines shouted he was a veteran of the course and complained about the group of younger golfers taking too long.
"The first thing he said was, 'You need to respect your elders,'" Hampe said. "We said, 'That's no way to conduct yourself in public.'"
Salsbery said he and his buddies had no choice but to subdue Hines.
"We all just went there thinking it was going to be a cool, chilled day and right at the end it got crazy," said Salsbery, 26. "I didn't know golf was a contact sport."
Ravel, 23, called the attack ridiculous.
"If the older group had just held their frustrations in for another five minutes, the whole round would have been over," Ravel said.
Ravel said he never got to finish his game because he was too busy giving information to police. That presented him a silver lining, of sorts.
"It made me forget how badly I played," he said.
Florida Times Union
Posted: April 30, 2012 - 11:01am | Updated: April 30, 2012 - 6:08pm
By Jim Schoettler
A fierce battle erupted Saturday on the 18th green of the Jacksonville Beach Municipal Golf Course, but it had nothing to do with winning.
Police arrested a 61-year-old Jacksonville man and charged him with slamming his golf cart into a group of bachelor partygoers and then whacking one with his golf club, leading to a brawl ended by other stunned golfers and police.
"It was some guy who must have been having a bad day," said Murdock Hampe, 27, who suffered a badly swollen leg when hit by the golf cart and a long knot when a golf club was broken over his head.
James Alonzo Hines of the 11500 block of Young Road was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, an arrest report said. Hines, who a witness said was bloodied in the brawl, was jailed and later released. No other arrests occurred.
Hines could not be reached for comment today.
Hampe, 27, of Jacksonville Beach and Michael Hankin, 25, of Hawaii were injured in the attack. Hampe said he was treated at a local hospital, while Hankin was treated at the scene.
The victims were among six friends celebrating the May 5 wedding of buddy Donald Salsbery. Hampe said the group, some of whom had just learned how to golf, had a few drinks at a nearby bar and joined Salsbery for the mid-afternoon golf outing at his request. Hampe said none of them was intoxicated.
The other group – two older men and two older women – were golfing behind the partygoers, said witness Justin Ravel. Ravel, who saw the initial confrontation from the 18th tee, said one of the women told him they had become incensed with the younger golfers driving on the greens and holding up their game.
"She said they weren't playing the game right and that clearly ticked [Hines' party] them off," Ravel said.
Hines' arrest report said an argument between the groups involved the younger golfers driving, drinking and "malingering" on the greens.
But Hampe said his group was behaving under the watchful eye of a golf course ranger and had every right to be there. He said they were neither drunk nor driving recklessly.
"It's a public course and we paid just like everybody else," Hampe said.
A Times-Union reporter attempted to reach a golf course official Monday, but only got voice mail.
Hampe said he was sitting in a golf cart when shouting erupted between the two groups from a distance. He said Hines then began hitting golf balls at them from about 200 yards away.
One of the balls was heaved back at Hines, who then hopped in his loaded golf cart and headed for the group, police and witnesses said.
Ravel said he heard the shouting, saw a golf ball fly back and forth and then watched as Hines drove into the group.
"He drove the cart as fast as it could go," Ravel said.
Hampe said Salsbery shouted a warning that Hines was driving toward them. Hampe said he jumped out of his cart just before Hines' cart ran over his leg and slammed into Hankin, pinning him against another cart.
"He ran right over my buddy and caught me, too," Hampe said. "He went full bore. I never saw anybody use a golf cart as a weapon."
Hampe said he was then struck by the golf club and saw Hines grab for another.
"I was blown away," Hampe said.
Ravel said he arrived about that time to see Hines and a companion holding clubs over their heads and their female partners also brandishing clubs.
"I grabbed the [mens'] clubs and told them to put the clubs down," Ravel said.
Hampe said his friends jumped on Hines to protect him and the group tumbled into a sand trap. Police arrived moments later.
Hampe said at one point Hines shouted he was a veteran of the course and complained about the group of younger golfers taking too long.
"The first thing he said was, 'You need to respect your elders,'" Hampe said. "We said, 'That's no way to conduct yourself in public.'"
Salsbery said he and his buddies had no choice but to subdue Hines.
"We all just went there thinking it was going to be a cool, chilled day and right at the end it got crazy," said Salsbery, 26. "I didn't know golf was a contact sport."
Ravel, 23, called the attack ridiculous.
"If the older group had just held their frustrations in for another five minutes, the whole round would have been over," Ravel said.
Ravel said he never got to finish his game because he was too busy giving information to police. That presented him a silver lining, of sorts.
"It made me forget how badly I played," he said.
