Masters patron charged in sand trap theft

Augusta Chronicle ^ | 4-9-12 | Bianca Cain Johnson

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A 40-year-old Masters patron was arrested Sunday after, police said, he attempted to steal sand from the sand trap.

Richmond County sheriff’s Capt. Scott Gay said Clayton Price Baker, of Ohio, slipped under the ropes following the tournament and attempted to put the sand in his cup.

After a short foot chase by Augusta National security and sheriff’s deputies, Baker was apprehended and charged with disorderly conduct.

Gay said Baker, who was drinking heavily at the time of the incident, was unsuccessful at getting any of the sand in his cup

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Clayton Price Baker

[Gay State Conservative]

What’s that...”Larceny Under $1.00” ?

[MeganC]

Is the sand somehow ‘special’?

[moovova]

Sand in his cup?

Would that be MIGHTY uncomfortable?

[tumblindice]

Sandman! http://collider.com/wp-content/image-base/Movies/L/Logans_Run/Logans%20Run%20movie%20image%20(10).jpg

[Vigilanteman]

If I ran the Master's, I think I would regularly buy a pallet of sand from Home Depot, add it a bag at a time to the sand trap and, after it spent a day or so there, scoop it up and sell it by the cup.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[apillar]

What’s that...”Larceny Under $1.00” ?

Actually the title of the story is misleading, he wasn't charged with theft at all, but disorderly conduct. This was probably a good call by the authorities as it would be hard to convict on larceny theft for picking up some sand. There was a case similar to this when I was an intern at a law office back in my college days. The gist of it was the owner of a mobile home park wanted a resident charged with theft because they filled up large a tank with water from his spigots. However because he provided the water free of charge and didn't specify a limit, the courts viewed it as having no value regardless if a customer used 1 gallon or 50,000 gallons.

[Dick Vomer]

I think I saw this idiot jumping up and down on camera. Wow, that’s funny. I was wondering because he wasn’t “acting” like most of the surrounding patrons seated next to him. Must be the beer courage or bourbon fame he had on board.

[almost done by half]

Why didn’t he just mount the shoes he wore all day on the hallowed ground? ;-)

[bramps]

Capt. Scott Gay said Clayton Price Baker, of Ohio, slipped under the ropes

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In a couple of years this will also be Tiger’s only method of getting on the course.

[ExCTCitizen]

A 40-year-old Masters patron was arrested Sunday after, police said, he attempted to steal sand from the sand trap.

Grand Theft Sand?? How many years of hard time is that??

[editor-surveyor]

I can’t imagine why they didn’t just ignore the fool.

[G Larry]

HA!

Just how many GRASS THIEVES got away?!?!

You didn’t even TRY to arrest them!
That would be MY defense!

[rawhide]

1st prisoner: Psst buddy, what are you in for?

2nd prisoner: Trying to steal a cup of sand.

[editor-surveyor]

This is what happens when you have rent-a-cops with nothing to do.

[susannah59]

To the folks at the Augusta National, it is!

I lived in Augusta for a number of years. The Augusta National takes itself very very seriously, indeed.

The club and tournament logos are copyrighted and they prosecute every possible infringement.

This guy is lucky he didn't get any sand and that he only got disorderly conduct. If he'd got the sand and, say, tried to sell it on eBay or something he'd probably be in real trouble.

I never actually set foot on the course nor ever attended even the practice rounds. My late in-laws lacked the foresight to get on the ticket list back in the day when it was possible to do so and I kept putting off going to the practice rounds till you couldn't easily do that, either.

Now I live far away and don't miss it a bit, though I'd love to see the course (it was built on the site of a plant nursery). I came to loathe the tournament because it totally disrupts life; smart locals take the week off and go somewhere else.

[rawhide]

Been terrible if this was a small child! The kid would be locked away until he was 18.

[MarineDad]

Tradition has it this is the holy sand trap from which the prophet Mohammed pole vaulted into heaven.

Or was that broad-jumped?

Hmm...I get a little confused insofar as the specific details are concerned...

[dead]

"Come ere! Come ere! This is sand. Do you know what it's going to be a hundred years from now? Sand!"
- Sam Kineson

[bcsco]

Augusta National is a private club. They hold themselves and those who enter their grounds to high standards. Even Tiger Woods received reproval from the club's chairman after his sex scandal broke.

Patrons don't just walk onto the grounds, whether having a ticket or buying one at the gate. It's strictly controlled. A limited number of tickets are made available through a random drawing. However, most have been made available in the past through waiting lists, which have been closed for some time.

For a short example on how things are run, here's an example. Scroll down to the "Prohibited Items List" for an idea. They don't fool around, and this guy had it coming to him.