The Loop

Weird Golf News of the Week: An airport is worried about stray golf balls on its runway

April 18, 2014

For the past month, Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Carter County, Tenn., has been dealing with stray golf balls on its runway. A lot of golf balls.

In the report, airport manager Dan Cogan said there have been "well over 100 balls" at the east end of the runway where planes take off and land. The balls have appeared on four different occasions during daily inspections for the airport, which handles about 100 flights per day.

So what's the big deal?

"An engine can suck a golf ball up into it causing engine failure or damage to the engine and can run into a lot of money right away. And then if it's a moving aircraft you could have a major incident causing up to loss of life," Cogan said.

In other words, as tempting as it is, don't use your nearest airport as a driving range.

Local authorities aren't categorizing this as a crime yet, but Carter County Sheriff Chris Mathes said there's potential for a "reckless endangerment" charge. Whoever is hitting the golf balls might not be doing it maliciously, but they don't seem to be getting there by accident. Especially considering the nearest golf course is seven miles away.

Here's the report from WJHL News Channel 11: