A Rather Strange Experience

My wife and I are vacationing at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The other day I played Cape Neddick Golf Course near Ogunquit. The course is very challenging even though shorter than most. Narrow, tree-lined fairways and lots of blind shots with hidden hazards of dense forest, reeds and water. At times it was not clear what fairway or green to shoot to.

However, the strangest experience of my golf career happened on the par 5 third hole when my drive sliced into the woods. I went to look for it and after a few minutes found a large brown patch of earth with about 10 balls sitting on it and I assumed one of the balls was mine. I walked down a short hill and walked on the earth. Immediately I realized I was in quicksand and was soon up to my thighs in thick black mud. There were no signs posted telling of this danger, nor was there any mention in the pro shop when I signed in.

Luckily I was able to grab onto the branch of a nearby tree and called for assistance from a fellow from New York I was paired with. He was able to pull me slowly out of the mud and fortuneately I was able to keep my socks and golf shoes on. But when I got to the fairway I was covered in thick black mud from my golf shoes right up to the middle of my white shorts. A little while later a marshal happened to pass by and brought me some towels to wipe myself clean. But I never received any follow up and no apologies from the course and, indeed, a bit of laughter as I was apparently the first person to discover this area of the course.

You would think that the superintendents would have put up a warning sign or two in the vicinity. That sounds dangerous and a good way to ruin a round. A complimentary round or a free lunch would have been an appropriate way to make amends for ruined shoes and socks.

You should have posted this in the Rules section. If there's no relief in the Rules, you should have hit your ball before grabbing the branch.