New York Golf Club Rocked as Police Investigate String of Alleged Thefts

Golf clubs are used to deal with an occasional headache, a broken gate, a scuffed green, and maybe a bit of petty vandalism after hours. Most of the time, it’s nothing a good fence and a security camera can’t fix. But when the person siphoning money out of the clubhouse turns out to be the man running it, it’s a whole different problem. New York State Police say that it happened at Somers National Golf Club in Westchester County, and now it has landed a 37-year-old restaurant manager behind bars.

Golfweek reports that Somers’ restaurant manager, David Chung, was arrested on Friday, August 7, after a string of incidents were reported at the club at 1,000 West Hill Drive. Investigators said the case began on July 25 when Chung had allegedly collected a combined total of $4,800 from two individuals. According to them, Chung told the individuals that he needed the money to repair the damage they had caused before a scheduled event.

The following day, state police were called back to the club after roughly $12,000 in business proceeds turned up missing. That’s when investigators were forced to zero in on the manager as a suspect.

Four days into the investigation, the state police uncovered more money leeched out of the business. According to authorities, Chung had forced his way into the clubhouse in the early morning hours and made off with more than $2,600 in cash and checks. Along with that, he picked up several golf bags containing clubs and other equipment that are valued at around $9,500. Chung has allegedly stolen over $28,000 in total.

Chung faces charges of second-degree burglary, a Class C felony; second-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony; and third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony.

Chung was produced in court, and his bail was set at $15,000 cash, a $30,000 bond, or a $60,000 partially secured bond. Chung was to return to Somers Town Court on August 10 to plead. Further details are not currently available.

Golf clubs facing damage or intrusion aren’t limited to staff-level theft either. Cases of vandalism and damage have extended to golf courses too.

Earlier this year, on Saturday, July 18th, four boys carrying golf clubs were seen vandalizing Routenburn Golf Club in Scotland. They took out divots from the 4th and 14th greens and stole tee markers during their late-night visit to the course. The incident took place with the help of a car parked outside the course that helped pick up the boys after the vandalism.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a lone incident either. In February, the Royal Easternburg Golf Club faced a similar blow. Vandals showed up with shovels and dug holes across 12 greens (six on the 100-year-old Devonshire course and six on the Hartington course).

While police intervention can help, background checks and cameras can always help detect an outside threat first.

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