Thefts happen every day in the Villages. Whole sets of golf clubs get stolen off of carts, carts themselves get stolen, people steal things from the pro shops and are usually caught because of the security cameras, and so on. Newbies - don't be complacent. Crime is certainly not rampant but it does exist. When we go in a country club or restaurant for lunch we try to leave our carts in a place where we can see them. We don't leave an expensive item like a range finder sitting out where anyone can grab it. Just use a little common sense.

To the OP - I'm sorry to hear your caddy was stolen.

No fear. No fear for doing wrong. Do unto others as you would have do unto you. Sad what our world is turning into.

I love the values and views of the majority who live here.

Our crime rate is amazingly low. But don't ever let down your guard. I have a lock on my clubs and I park my cart around the back when I have lunch at any of the country clubs and would never dream leaving them in front of Publix or any really public area.. I wouldn't say I love them more than Sweetie...............but..........

I can't see why anyone would want a bag of old balls either. Most of us have a box in our garage and three or four shag bags.

I wonder if they could have fallen out of ...or off the cart.

No. He said he had a witness.

All I can say is that took balls!

As usual, you are so correct, Gracie. I use a cable lock to secure my golf bag to my cart. I also do the same with my cart heater. Everything easily removed should be kept out of sight, especially if it is expensive or difficult to replace ... Cell phone, range finder, golf buddy, etc.

I had a man try to steal my purse out of my grocery cart at Walmart on 466 as I was bent over putting my groceries in my van. When I turned back around he had the purse by the handle and was lifting it out of the cart. When I asked him what he was doing he said it was his wife'said purse that she left in their cart. When I toldo him it wasnt, he ran off and jumped in his golf cart and sped away. No wife in the cart. Crime is everywhere, don't kid yourself.

I put cable locks on EVERYTHING! I lock the cover closed on my golf bag, I lock the bag to the cart, I lock the glove box and all the zippers on my bag, I lock the tires to the cart, I lock the steering wheel, and I lock the cart to a light pole or tree. I even lock it up when I have it parked in my garage. It is time consuming (also requires me to carry quite a few keys and remember a couple dozen combination codes), but I don't have to worry about anyone stealing my clubs or my cart! If I had a gas cart I would have a locking gas cap too...

I think I saw your cart recently...the one that says Brinks?

Red is a Good Witch.

Definitely our crime rate is low !! However, there are a few who like things that aren't theirs. Just be smart and don't leave things where they are easy to grab.

The witness who saw this person, did they give you any information ?
What did the person do that took it ?
Did they go to a car, a golf cart, did they run ?
The witness must have seen if they saw the person take it.

I remember in 2011 at Sarasota Driving Range when you teed off on the opposite side of the lake, by the practice area. A woman had her purse stolen out of her golf cart parked about 50' away from the teeing area. It was in the newspaper and discussed on this forum.

A short time after that a players' bag and clubs were stolen from his cart in the Havana CC parking lot. The lesson to learn there is, don't park with golf clubs in a car parking area. It makes it very easy for someone to pull up in their car and pop open the trunk and grab the clubs. From then on I only parked my cart in the golf cart parking lot down the hill away from the cars.

Everyday when I go into MVP Athletic Club at Brownwood I see golf carts parked with bags and clubs in the car parking lot. Very easy for a thief to roll through the parking lot and pick up a $200 or $300 driver or putter. I've heard reports of single clubs stolen at the restaurants on 466. People need to learn if it's out of sight, put it under lock and key.

I guess this means things were never stolen in the past?

I don't suppose there's any sort of thriving black market for them, but my surprise is that more clubs aren't stolen. I see numerous carts every day with full bags in restaurant or grocery store parking lots.

Let me be clear that I have no idea what the actual crime stats are, but I kind of think the majority of petty thieves aren't Villagers -- I mean, why would most of us need or want a golf club or practice caddy that badly? Handicap permits, maybe. And anyone of a larcenous bent might grab a tote left sitting on a cart seat.

There are some cheapskates in TV. I have found range balls on the golf courses...far from the range. I cannot imagine someone wanting to play a round of golf with a limited flight floating golf ball. Steal a shag bag full of balls, and never have to pilfer range balls again.

For those of you who admonished the OP for alerting the culprit that he had been seen forget that such a low caliber individual would probably not be a member of TOTV and ergo would not have read the OP's warning:D