Florida golfer attacks teen over slow play, charged with felony child abuse

Slow play can often lead to a lively discussion and perhaps some dirty looks, but things went from "disrespectful" to bloody pretty quickly at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla. Right around 9 a.m. on Saturday, "a quiet morning on the course turned into a felony child abuse charge" when a disagreement over pace of play turned into a full-on attack.

The suspect, a 50-year-old Rhett Drummond, claimed that the 15-year-old in front of him was playing too slowly, and after a quick argument, things cooled down. Unfortunately, not long after, Drummond went after the teenager on his golf cart. He grabbed him and threw him down to the ground before hitting him multiple times in the head and face, according to an affidavit.

An officer on the scene reported that the 15-year-old had a bloody nose and red marks around his neck from when his shirt was pulled. Drummond eventually admitted to what happened and was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a $500 bond. Both the teen and his mother requested criminal charges, and the 50-year-old was then charged with third-degree felony child abuse.

Drummond faces a third-degree felony in Florida, which covers child abuse that does not cause great bodily harm. According to Hoodline, that “carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine.”