Man beats up golfer over slow play, deputies say

A man is accused of attacking another man for playing too slowly at a golf course in Kissimmee. The man now has stitches and a broken bone. FOX 35’s Manny Martinez walks us through what happened.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly beat up another man on a golf course after the man was playing too slow. 

What happened?

What we know:

According to an arrest warrant, Jason Hughes attacked a golfer on a course in Kissimmee in June. Hughes told Osceola County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) deputies that he was upset with the pace of the man’s play.

The man reported he and Hughes exchanged words on the course. According to the warrant, the man was playing with a friend in front of Hughes. Hughes said he told the man more than once to hurry up. The warrant stated the boiling point for Hughes was the man talking to his friend while ahead on the green.

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The warrant said that Hughes then attacked the man unprovoked and punched him in the face repeatedly. The report said both men were separated by their playing partners.

Hughes and his playing partner got in their golf cart and took it to their car in the lot. They then drove off before deputies arrived.

Deputies said they found the man to be bleeding and bruised when they arrived. The man declined an ambulance to the hospital, but was driven by a friend instead.

Officials tracked Hughes down with the help of the golf course. The club provided deputies with surveillance video of Hughes and gave them his name based on the credit card used to make the reservation.

Hughes was booked into the Osceola County Jail on Thursday. He is being charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm. 

Jason Hughes was arrested after he allegedly attacked a man on the golf course for playing too slow. (Credit: Osceola County Jail)

Hughes made his first appearance on Friday, and a judge set his bond at $2,500. One condition of his bond is that he cannot play golf on any course open to the public.

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‘No reason to be fighting’

What they’re saying:

“If you linger around a few minutes and let that guy go through, by the time you play the hole, you won’t be behind him anymore,” one man said.

“If you’re out here trying to be aggressive, you absolutely picked the wrong game to choose,” another man said. “Go do jiu-jitsu or kung fu.”

“There’s no reason to be fighting out here,” a third man said. “You could easily call the shop, and they’ll come speak to the person, but it should never turn to violence.”

What’s next:

Hughes’ next court date was not immediately clear.