Misogynistic Verbal Assault at Heather Gardens Golf Course.
My girlfriend and I had a 2:00 PM tee time on Easter Sunday and were enjoying what we thought would be a relaxed afternoon of golf during our first visit to Heather Gardens. The course itself is beautiful — wide fairways, challenging greens, and well-maintained. But that positive impression was completely ruined by a disturbing and unacceptable incident on the 9th hole.
While approaching her ball near the edge of the 9th fairway — which borders the 7th — my girlfriend was suddenly and aggressively confronted by an older man from a nearby group on the 7th fairway. He drove up recklessly in a golf cart, yelling at her to "put that down" without even asking if the ball she had was his. His tone was hostile, condescending, and shockingly misogynistic — not how anyone should speak to a stranger, let alone a woman on the course.
When she calmly explained that the ball was hers (a Callaway Supersoft, while he was apparently looking for a Callaway ERC), he didn’t back off. Instead, he launched into a child-like tantrum, demanding the ball from her and continuing to yell in her face with zero regard for decency or basic human respect. It was loud, aggressive, and completely uncalled for.
One of his companions quietly apologized to me — as if this kind of behavior was normal for the man. Even more disturbing, he was playing with a much younger Asian woman — which raises serious concerns for her safety. No stable, respectful person behaves like that toward strangers in public, and I worry what that might mean behind closed doors.
But what happened next crossed a serious line. After I walked about 40 yards up the fairway, the man came back at full speed in his cart to confront my girlfriend again — this time seeking her out when she was alone and almost hitting her. He berated her again and forced her to hand over her own ball, even though it clearly wasn’t his. She was left shaken, in tears, and completely traumatized for the rest of the hole and the long walk back to the pro shop. His behavior was threatening, dangerous, and inexcusable.
Thankfully, we complained to an older gentleman working at the pro shop as well as several kind residents. They were supportive and reassured us that this wasn’t normal for Heather Gardens. Though they comforted my girlfriend and helped her finally stop crying, the emotional damage was already done. We had to rush away from the clubhouse afterward, worried the man in question might come off the 9th and confront us again. We left rattled, violated, disappointed, and unwelcomed.
Heather Gardens needs to take a hard look at how it ensures player safety and holds individuals accountable for abusive conduct. It needs to consider the kind of behavior it tolerates on its grounds. This course should never be a place where women are verbally assaulted, intimidated, or made to feel unsafe while simply enjoying a round of golf. Until there's clear action taken, we won’t be back — and others, especially women, should be aware of the kind of people who are sometimes allowed to play here without consequence. We expect Heather Gardens to identify this individual and take appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this doesn’t happen again.