When someone thinks of golf, they often think of prestige, class, and brilliance. Many fans recollect Tiger Woods’s chip in the 2005 Masters Tournament, Jack Nicklaus winning his 18th major in 1986, or the Battle of Brookline from 1999. But Mel Lacey’s jarring experience is one of the rare occasions where a golf course was associated with horror.

Lacey often visited the Cobtree Manor Golf Course in Maidstone. During one of these visits a month ago, Mel also had his three dogs along with him. What seemed like an ordinary stroll turned into a scarring memory for the 54-year-old. As he reached the 14th hole, he struck up a conversation with one of the groundsmen. At that same time, there was another groundsman in the area using a utility vehicle. In a tragic incident, the groundsman ended up hitting one of Mel’s dogs, Poppie with a vehicle.

Poppy, a three-year-old miniature Yorkie, passed away instantly after being hit. This left Mel in shock as he was accompanied back to the clubhouse by the first groundsman. He carried his dead dog Poppy along with him while the dog’s three-year-old sister Molly, and eight-year-old mother, Bella followed. After a brief altercation with the employees, the police were immediately called to the scene. After an investigation, it was concluded that Poppy died from injuries sustained from the collision and no criminal offences had been committed.

One month after the incident, Mel and his wife Irene shared their story with the digital news outlet, KentOnline. Mel said, “I was talking to one groundsman when the other came whizzing around the corner.” Shedding some light on the incident, he added, “The dogs ran up alongside the buggy and were yapping away, as they usually do,” before Poppy was struck by the vehicle.

Irene also had a few things to say about the incident. She stated, “The loss was incomprehensible. We immediately contacted the police, but they concluded there was insufficient evidence and no witnesses to take further action.” She further added, “Our attempts to seek justice were met with indifference. The golf course manager dismissed the incident as an accident. Throughout this ordeal, Cobtree Manor Golf Course has shown no empathy or accountability.”

She explained how Poppy was not “Just a dog” but instead was a “beloved family member whose life was tragically cut short.” Speaking about her experience in the past few weeks, Irene said, “We hope no other dog walkers have to endure such an ordeal. Everyone should feel safe walking their dogs, without fear of harm.”

Ironically, this tragedy unfolded when the region’s tourism website Visit Maidstone stated that the golf course was “very welcoming,” for “dog walkers, wildlife watchers, cyclists and bikers.” A representative of the local authorities stated that they were aware of the issue and it is still under investigation.

This is not even the first such incident in the past few months. Something similar happened at the Chardon Lakes Golf Course.

An unfortunate common occurrence

A few months ago, a dog named Milo was injured in a bizarre incident involving a golfer. The owner shared that the golfer trespassed into their property while trying to retrieve the ball. When he was approached by Milo, he struck the dog across his head with a golf club. Unfortunately, the perpetrator was not caught as the police couldn’t trace it back to someone.

The social media post shared by Milo’s owner received a lot of strong opinions. Sadly, neither of the issues have been taken ahead by the authorities. What are your opinions about the incident? Do you think the groundsman should have been charged for his actions? Share your views in the comments section.