Barrie golf course sees 11 carts stolen. Part of a larger ‘organized’ trend?

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First it was stealing cars.

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Now it appears to be golf carts that are the targets of an organized effort by thieves according to one golf club manager in Ontario.

David Graham, the general manager for Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club, about 20 kilometres northeast of Barrie, Ont., says at least two thieves made off with 11 Yamaha-brand golf carts — each valued at $8,000 — in the early morning hours of April 19.

“I have them on camera,” said Graham, whose course has both surveillance cameras and bright lights on at night.

“They stole the cars, pushed them off our property meaning one was driving and one was pushing. It looks like they had the (getaway) truck on the other side of the road. But the OPP were saying that they got a fairly good image of the vehicle that they used being a white, super-duty pickup truck with a large enclosed trailer.”

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Brooklyn Harker, of the Ontario Provincial Police, Central Region, would only say in a statement that the Orillia detachment began an investigation on April 19.

“It was reported that 11 golf carts were stolen sometime during the evening. The investigation is ongoing, and the OPP encourages anyone with information to call 1-888-310-1122 or submit your tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.”

Graham says in his 20 years as a general manager at the course he’s never had so many carts taken at once.

“You jump to your own conclusions,” Graham says. “You think of all the vehicles being stolen, and trucks, and that sort of thing so I’m assuming it’s something similar like that, it’s organized and they must have buyers somewhere. Maybe the odd one or two carts get stolen in the area, but usually it’s kids or someone having fun. But you don’t lose 10 at a time, or over 150 in Ontario in the last three years. I think recently on the news they’re talking 190.”

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According to the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA) statistics reported by other media, at least 192 golf carts have been stolen from 18 Ontario golf courses since 2021, with the majority stolen in 2022 and 2024.

“We’re a Golf North property,” Graham says. “They own 40 golf courses across Canada so they’re speculating that (the thieves) are almost looking at Yamaha, the one brand.”

Graham says the club’s season started April 13 and they’ve since replaced the 11 stolen carts last week with 11 new ones covered under their insurance with “a large deductible.”

Something, Graham says, they wouldn’t have been able to do last year due to COVID-related supply chain issues.

“(You have) that mixed emotion violation of you know, someone stole your property, and then you think, ‘Did I not prevent it? Was it too easy for them?’ You feel like you did something wrong,” says Graham. “And then, of course, anger. There’s a wide variety of emotions.”

Graham says since the theft, they’ve improved lighting and cameras and will shortly put in a new cabling alarm system for their total of 70 carts on property for which there is daily demand by golfers.

“Everyday you come in here, scouring the carts (going), ‘Are there any missing?’’ says Graham.

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