Golfer awaits police action after tracking his stolen gear

An Auckland golfer was left with only a club and a ball after his gear was stolen during a round of golf at an East Auckland course.

Golf enthusiast Tom Owen said he knows where his things are — having tracked his stolen phone to a nearby residential address — but police are yet to take any action.

He said his gear was under trees a few metres down the fairway as he teed off at the 13th hole at the Howick Golf Club last month. But after playing his shot he was shocked to discover his golf bag containing about $2000 worth of equipment had been stolen.

“I went to put my driver back into my bag and it was gone,” he said.

Among the items stolen were clubs, bag, trundler, clothing, golf balls and his cellphone.

Owen suspects a thief saw his golf bag from the road and made off with it while he was teeing off.

He returned home where tracking software showed his phone was at a

I tracked it to an address . . . not far from the golf club. The phone stopped right outside the door.

property near the green.

“I tracked it to an address . . . not far from the golf club,” he said.

“The phone stopped right outside the door.”

Owen then filed a report of the theft with police.

Deciding to confront the residents himself, he was met at the door by a woman who claimed she had no knowledge of the stolen clubs.

He then got a friend to call his phone, which he now thinks was not the best idea.

“I probably made a mistake because one of my friends gave me a call and they obviously realised there was a phone in there and they switched it off.”

Owen said he was still waiting to hear back from police.

Yesterday a police spokesman said it was an “active file”.

Police dealt with a high number of cases at any given time and based on the type of crime and resources available some investigations could take some time,” the spokesman said.

“Police do our best to follow up lines of inquiry in a timely manner.

“Police have received a report of this theft and have lines of inquiry to follow up in this matter.”

Tom Owen, golfer