Va. man charged with attempted robbery in golf course incident calls it a misunderstanding over golf

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A Virginia man was arrested in the middle of the night in front of his family. He claims all he did was drive a golf cart on the grass, but police have a different story to tell.

This all happened at the Broad Run Golf and Practice Facility in Bristow last Friday where a misunderstanding got way out of control.

"My fault," said Charlie Mankin. "I misunderstood what he was trying to convey."

The veteran golfer admits he got a little emotional after making a little mistake.

"I think he took it as a blatant disregard to him telling me not to take the cart on the fairway, which wasn't the case at all," he said.

While driving his golf cart on this course, he says he accidentally cruised onto the grass. After that happened, he said staffers raced to him and told him he was breaking the rules.

According to police, that conversation turned into a shouting match between Mankin and employees of the course.

"I tried to knock the cell phone down," said Mankin. "I didn't touch him. He had it in my face and was taking pictures and I asked him to stop and he wouldn't stop."

That same cell phone recorded the entire exchange between Mankin and the employees, which gave police enough to arrest him at his house around midnight on attempted robbery and disorderly conduct charges. The only thing is he says he never stole anything and is now hoping it will be dropped.

Mankin is on a mission to get the course to change its rules so the next golfer doesn't run into a bad swing with personnel.

Would he consider a round of golf with the staffer for a clean slate?

"Anytime," he said. "I would certainly try to make amends. Sometimes things get a little heated. We don't mean to say the things we say sometimes."

But Mankin's problems are not over yet. He is set to face a judge on June 1.

However, he still remains a member of the golf course.