“Picture the scene. A mixed doubles “Greensomes” competition. The two lady players standing 30 metres ahead of the men’s tee with their backs to the men, chatting and waiting for the two men to drive off.
20 metres closer to the men’s tee, parked sideways on the buggy path was ‘Lorena’, my trusty GoKart (affectionately named ‘Lorena’ after Ms Ochoa, the lady golfer, who is also small and perfectly formed, just like my GoKart !!)
Parked on the buggy path next to the men’s tee, and pointing towards the girls, and Lorena, was a ‘full on’ motorised golf buggy being used by an elderly gentleman who was the other member of our foursome.
As the two of us (men) were setting up on the tee, there was a sudden strong gust of wind, which revealed the “deliberate mistake” on the part of the elderly gent. He had parked, and left his motorised buggy, without applying the handbrake !! The gust was just sufficient to move the buggy a few inches forward, to the point where the slight downhill gradient on the buggy path, and gravity, took over.
The unmanned golf buggy started to pick up speed down the path, heading for the two lady golfers, who were still oblivious to what was happening behind them – the only thing in the path of the runaway buggy was ‘Lorena’ – bless her !! A shouted warning “scattered” the ladies but, alas, it was curtains for ‘Lorena’.
The big buggy crashed into my trusty GoKart sideways on and stopped – probably the grip from my ‘Hedgehog’ tyres that stopped her from sliding sideways !!. Lorena fell over and lay there, almost under the front of the “buggy-bully”, but she was obviously terminally wounded !! When I got to her, one of her wheels was lying on the ground in a little pile of broken plastic case, screws and a sheared off drive shaft. She was beyond First Aid.
The elderly gent clearly had his priorities in order. Having applied the handbrake to his “murderer”, he didn’t waste any time with such things as apologies, or offers to pay for the damage his negligence had caused, he pondered for a moment and then came up with “We don’t want to hold up the players behind us, and we still have 6 to play. Maybe it would be a good idea if you put your bag, and the bits of your cart, in the back of my buggy”. The two ladies managed to get to me before I got to him with a 5 iron !!
Potentially this could have been a serious incident, but my trusty GoKart saved the day. I was pleased that she had “died” in such an honourable way. I was delighted and amazed, however, when I spoke to the lovely people at GoKart. “Don’t worry” was the response “we CAN re-build her – we have the technology – Lorena WILL live again !!”. Arrangements were swiftly made to have “the bits” collected from me and returned to GoKart for surgery – NHS, eat your heart out, I had to wait longer for an in-growing toe nail to be sorted out !!
To Sandy, and all the team at GoKart, – THANK YOU !! – for being just the nicest people to deal with. I never cease to be amazed at your genuine commitment to “Customer Care”, and your “Can do – Will do” attitude.”
Brian S. Leeds.