So here was my experience at Olde Sycamore yesterday.

Heading out to the range, about to use the token I bought for a bucket, I noticed there were quite a few balls on the range already. I pocketed the token, headed to the range, and began hitting balls. Called to pick up my partner who had just checked in, I got in my cart, having left several clubs leaning against the club rack in front of the balls I was hitting. When I returned, a course employee was on the range, buckets in hand, picking up all the balls on the range. He asked me if I “paid for those balls” to which I answered, “they were here when I came out”, at which he picks up the balls and puts them in a bucket and walks off.

I have played golf for over 20 years, on every ! course from exclusive club to downtrodden muni, and I have never seen this, and never had this type of confrontational event on a range. Usually, course employees are giving out free buckets if they happen to cross a golfer while they have some balls in hand. I have played at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, and when asked what to do with the bag of balls not used (because there were plenty of balls on the range to hit), have been told “Take them, they’re yours”.

I understand that there is an alternative view – that I was “stealing” balls by hitting balls that I hadn’t paid for (even though somebody did). I just haven’t seen this in over 20 years of playing golf. Not likely I’ll be going back to Olde Sycamore anytime soon.