Mesquite resident donates 877 golf balls to Virgin Valley youth group

Terell Wilkins | The Spectrum

Right next to Falcon Ridge golf course lies a neighborhood that residents say is known for getting showered with golf balls.

"People hit golf balls off that ledge and they just coming flying all over here," said resident Robert Olson. "They hit the houses and some of the houses had the whole side of their house have to be redone."

Olson and his neighbors know they have a golf ball problem, but Olson decided to spin the issue into a positive contribution for the community.

Over the last two years, he has collected all the golf balls near his house to donate them, and the time came June 12 to give them away.

"Well I have to walk every night on account of my back otherwise they said I would be on a chair with wheels, and I didn't like that," Olson said. "So I go up here and I walk around and if these guys shoot a ball, (other residents) don't go after them, but I do."

He collected 877 golf balls to donate to the Virgin Valley Junior Golf Association for the young golfers to have resources when they go out and play.

Olson chose to donate at this time as the players are currently in clinics and begin playing in tournaments next week.

Karl Gustaveson, Mesquite resident and one of Olson's friends, helped facilitate the donation after finding out about the golf balls.

"He had all these golf balls and he said, 'I don't know what to do with all these golf balls,'" Gustaveson said. "I told him that the high school has a program, why don't you give it to them and they can give some to the girls and boys?"

Olson noted it feels good to give back to the community and to be able to help provide for the young golfers.

"I was a kid one time but it was a long time ago, so it feels good to be able to do something for the kids now," Olson said.