Golf cart 'jousters' pay for damage

Sentencing may be deferred three years for two teenagers who admitted Wednesday causing $7,500 damage to Carson Valley Golf Course by "jousting" with two juveniles in four golf carts.

Attorney Tod Young said Devin Barker, 18, and Raymond Feldmiller, 19, took their idea from the movie "Jackass" when they damaged the 13th green at the Gardnerville course on Oct. 20.

According to reports, the four drove golf carts after hours over the wet greens, mounts, bunkers, tee markers and boundary ropes, crashed the carts into each other, and flipped the carts.

"That's where I play golf," said East Fork Judge Jim EnEarl. "You took golf carts, played bumper cars, and went around and tore up the course?"

"We were being dumb," Barker said. "I guess we thought it would be fun, and it got out of hand."

Golf course owner Tom Brooks said his family was "affronted" by the vandalism because they had hired Barker, and entrusted him with responsibility for the golf carts.

"They caused a lot of damage," he said. "I'm afraid I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for them. Our golf course tries to be a good resource to the community. We take great offense at what they've done."

Young said Barker and Feldmiller wrote an apology that was published Nov. 9 in The Record-Courier.

"They are not flippant about this," Young said.

The juveniles appeared in District Court.

"We thought it would be a good idea at the time," Feldmiller said.

Feldmiller, Barker and the two juveniles are ordered to pay $7,473.23 restitution by March 5.

EnEarl ordered Barker and Feldmiller to return that day to determine the rest of their punishment. Young asked that sentencing be deferred for three years so they have "the opportunity to enter adulthood without the weight of a conviction around them."

They both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor destruction of property. In addition to restitution, the district attorney's office recommended Barker perform 100 hours of community service, and both young men write letters of apology to the Brooks family.