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National Park Rangers Nab Golf Ball Litterbug

Originally Published in MotorHome Magazine

Was he the bogey-man of Joshua Tree? A man who admitted tossing
thousands of golf balls into the national park in California for more
than a year wasn’t trying to make an artistic statement or practice his
swing. La Quinta resident Douglas Jones says he was just trying to pay
tribute to golfers who have died.

The park rangers got teed off, however, and his “greens fee” was a
citation for littering and abandoning property, among other things,
according to published reports.

Park spokesman Joe Zarki told the Los Angeles Times: “Sometime
around 2007, our rangers began discovering large quantities of golf
balls in some turnout areas of the park. We were wondering what was
going on here. There were also some tennis balls involved.” Cans of
fruits and vegetables and park literature were also strewn about.

Finally, Jones was caught in the act last month, and he reportedly
told rangers the ball tossing was meant to honor deceased golfers and
the food was left for stranded hikers.

There were reportedly 2,000 to 3,000 balls in the park, and Zarki
told the Times that 373 staff hours, the equivalent of about $9,000,
were spent on cleanup.

Jones now could face jail time and a possible ban from the national park.

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