Tilted Golf Course Flags Cause Rollingstone Ranch GC Scuffle

A 60-year-old woman repeatedly punched a man whose group improperly replaced the pins on the Steamboat Springs, Colo., course. The woman, who said she struck the man after he called her an obscene name, was cited in the incident.

A 60-year-old woman has been cited for repeatedly punching a man who she claimed left golf flags tilted at Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club in Steamboat Springs, Colo., ABC 7 News Denver reported.

John Chapman, 35, accused longtime Rollingstone member Mary Effinger of hitting him in the face three times after an argument over leaving the flag tilted in the cup on previous holes. Chapman said Effinger confronted the group on the No. 12 hole, where she asked if they ever played golf before and became angry over improper pin replacement, ABC 7 News Denver reported.

Though Chapman said he and his group apologized, Effinger wouldn’t let it go. Chapman admitted to calling Effinger an obscene name three times and that Effinger slapped him and he briefly grabbed her wrist. After Chapman let go, he said Effinger “punched me with a closed fist as hard as she could,” then punched him a second time, ABC 7 News Denver reported.

“You can’t just hit someone like that. It’s ridiculous,” Chapman said.

Chapman called the police and an officer contacted Effinger on the course. Effinger told the officer she hit Chapman three times after he called her an obscene name, ABC 7 News Denver reported.

“Mary explained she had never been called that name before,” Officer Bill Stucker wrote in his report. “I explained to Mary that it was not appropriate for him to call her a (expletive)” and “she should not have hit him.”

No criminal charges were filed, much to Chapman’s dismay, ABC 7 News Denver reported.

“I want her to pick up garbage on the side of (U.S. Highway) 40 for a weekend or work in a soup kitchen,” Chapman said. “She needs to come down a few pegs.”

Effinger was served  with a summons on Aug. 22 to appear in municipal court on suspicion of misdemeanor harassment. The police report indicated that both parties had been drinking, though Chapman maintains he was not, ABC 7 News Denver reported.

Tags: abc 7 news denver bill stucker john chapman mary effinger Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club steamboat springs colo.