Golf club forced to change its rules due to ball-stealing cat

A ball-stealing cat has been ruining rounds at a golf course, forcing the club to change their rules. Burmese cat Merlin has been plaguing players at Aldeburgh Golf Club, in Suffolk.



His owner Peter Bryson said he's been bringing home up to six a day. Merlin has been spotted creeping onto the 14th hole fairway and carrying balls off in his mouth. The club has now told golfers who fall foul of Merlin's thieving they can substitute stolen balls without incurring a penalty.



A sign on the notice board at the golf club says: "A large brown coloured Burmese cat has been seen picking up and carrying away golf balls in the vicinity of the 14th hole. Where this has been witnessed or when it is virtually certain that a ball has disappeared from the closely-mown surfaces, a substitute ball may be dropped."



The notice informs players that a cat is considered an "outside agency", referring to the ball being moved by someone other than the player or a caddy. It says that a substitute ball may be used "without penalty", unless it is in the rough. Mr Bryson, who lives close to the golf club, said: "He's brought about 30 balls back." He said he thinks Merlin associates the golf balls with ping-pong balls, which he plays with at home.