Protesters Find Simpson Rumor Was Off Course

No one but O.J. Simpson knows the real story.

No one but Simpson knows for sure if the world’s most famous former murder defendant planned to play golf in Dana Point early Saturday morning, or if those scores of protesters lying in wait for him were the victims of a cruel hoax.

They began gathering at dawn, led by Denise Brown, sister of Simpson’s slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. Based on a tip from someone Brown called “a very reliable source,” more than 100 protesters believed Simpson intended to tee off at the Monarch Beach Golf Links, a public course not far from the Brown family home.

“O.J. Tees Me Off!” proclaimed the bright green cardboard sign Brown held above her head, one of the milder sentiments on view.

“Murderer, go home!” the angry crowd chanted, along with “O.J., go away!”

Few were willing to believe the frightened club pro, who stepped forward to announce that Simpson had not reserved a tee time, that he had never been known to play there before and that he would not be playing there this day.

“I don’t know how this rumor got started,” said David Kirkpatrick, his voice quavering at the sight of an angry crowd converging on his caddies. “The rumor did not get started here. [Simpson] was not invited by anybody associated or affiliated with this golf course.”

“We’ll just wait and see,” the protesters replied, taking position at the entrance and standing guard for much of the morning.

“We’re here because we don’t want a wife-beater in our community,” Denise Brown told the pro, the reporters and the many motorists who paused to toot their horns in support of what she was doing.

(One anonymous motorist even pulled up and handed a box of doughnuts out the window, before giving the thumbs-up and zooming away.)

“I live here,” Denise Brown said. “My kids live here. And I don’t think I need my kids to see [domestic violence], hear it or put up with it.”

Kirkpatrick offered in vain to show Brown the “tee sheet,” a listing of everyone scheduled to play golf that morning. Brown guessed (correctly) that the tee sheet is written in pencil, and told Kirkpatrick, “Pencil can be erased.”

Tammy Bruce, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women, also scorned Kirkpatrick’s account of the facts.

“Mr. Simpson is on the property,” Bruce said. “He stayed in the villas here last night.”

She pointed north to a nearby condominium complex, where two protesters said Simpson had been seen Friday night.

“Mr. Simpson ruined his own life when he decided that beating up women was the solution to his problems,” Bruce said. “This is the community of Dana Point and the surrounding area saying ‘No’ to domestic violence.”

Kirkpatrick responded that the villas where Simpson supposedly spent the night were not part of the golf course grounds. Then he repeated several more times that no one at the course had any connection with Simpson, and that Simpson was not expected.

“I want to make it clear,” he said with some emotion, “that [Simpson] was not invited by anybody at this golf course to play.”

Undaunted, demonstrators continued their vigil, moving only once in the next few hours to march up the street and stand outside the condominium in question. There, they shouted and jeered for several minutes before returning to the golf course entrance.

Eventually, Kirkpatrick emerged with the tee sheet, suggesting that perhaps there was some confusion about an 8:15 a.m. reservation in the name of “Stimpson.”

But few accepted that explanation, and spokespersons for Simpson could not be reached Saturday to comment or clear up the mystery.

Most protesters said they heard Friday night--from a friend, or a fellow volunteer with the Nicole Brown Simpson Charitable Foundation--that Simpson had booked an early tee time and planned to play golf in the little oceanfront city where his former wife attended high school.

Carol Adams, who works at Cal State Fullerton, vowed to continue attending such demonstrations until Simpson gets the message.

“I think he hasn’t realized that he’s not welcome in certain areas,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with him playing golf--but when it’s in the Browns’ backyard?”

Eve Johnson of Lake Forest said she felt compelled to picket the golf course because the story of Nicole has transformed her life.

At a recent candlelight vigil in Nicole’s honor, Johnson’s daughter revealed that she was once the victim of an abusive man.

Had it not been for testimony at Simpson’s murder trial about his physical abuse of Nicole, Johnson said, “I wouldn’t have had any clue.”

Shyly, Johnson confessed that she often leaves cigarettes at Nicole’s grave, because she once read that Simpson berated his wife every time he caught her sneaking a smoke.

As the sun rose higher over the golf course, and the possibility of a Simpson appearance grew more unlikely, Brown and her fellow protesters began to celebrate, assuming they had scared all celebrity golfers away.

“He chickened out!” they shouted, clapping each other on the backs and drifting off to breakfast. “All batterers are cowards!”