Golf Course Sniper : 3 at Los Robles Greens Are Struck by Pellets but Play On

A sniper hiding somewhere near the sixth hole of the Los Robles Greens Golf Course shot three golfers with a pellet gun over a 10-minute period late Wednesday morning.

Although smarting from welts from .177-caliber pellets, the dedicated duffers played the remaining 12 holes.

“It stung, and I’d jokingly made a comment that I had either gotten hit by a ball or shot,” said the shooter’s first victim, a 27-year-old Agoura man who said he would not give his name because he was skipping work. The pellet, which struck the back of his right calf, raised a small, red welt.

Playing in the following foursome, former Ventura auto dealer Jack Draper, 66, was on the par 3 hole near the Ventura Freeway about 10 minutes after the first shooting. Draper of Chatsworth said that both he and a friend were also struck by pellets.

“I thought I heard a shot,” Draper said. “I was at the ball washer when I got hit in the butt. . . . It was like a guy snapping a towel at you.”

Draper said he thought he had also been hit by an errant golf shot. His partner, who did not want to be identified, was struck in the leg.

All three golfers were pulled off the course to give reports to sheriff’s investigators but then returned to complete their rounds. It never crossed their minds not to finish, they said.

Although the three golfers shrugged off the incident, investigators took it seriously and spent part of the afternoon combing the area for suspects.

“It sounds like it’s juveniles with a pellet gun, but we don’t know at this point,” said Sgt. Randy Pentis. “There’s a lot of ground to cover.”

Pentis said that if found, the shooter could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. “A pellet gun could cause serious bodily injury,” Pentis said. “It’s a serious charge and a serious investigation.”