Racist graffiti found on Omaha golf course

Police were investigating a case of racist graffiti on a northwest Omaha golf course Thursday.

The racial slur was found in a tunnel at Stone Creek Golf Course off 160th Street south of Ida Street.

Golfer Bill Swanson said the last two times he has played the course at Stone Creek, a distraction got in the way of his game.

"You get better and better at the game the more you enjoy it, but you can't have something like this ruin it for you," Swanson said.

The racial slur is right on the greens in a tunnel golfers use to get between holes.

"I don't feel like it's necessary for me to come out and see something like this," Swanson said.

Swanson said the graffiti is offensive.

"I'm sure if affects people differently, but being an African-American, I've gone through this all of my entire life," Swanson said.

Swanson said he complained to course management more than a month ago and returned Thursday to see the word still there.

"I would like to see it stopped, and that's the bottom line," Swanson said.

"Problem is the wall is porous, so it sucks the paint in," Stone Creek Course Superintendent Rich Pollock said.

Pollock said his staff tried to remove the graffiti but hasn't had much luck.

"We used power washer wire brushes," Pollock said. "It's offensive to me, too."

Pollock said since those efforts failed, the issue sort of fell by the wayside.

"I should have done something sooner," Pollock said.

Swanson suggested just painting over the graffiti.

"One of my golfers is complaining about it. We're just going to paint it (Friday)," Pollock said.

That will make it easier, Swanson said, to come to his favorite course, but he said the message behind the graffiti is much more troubling than losing a game.

"I have four grandkids now, and I'm at the point where I'm feeling they are going to have to go through this themselves," Swanson said.

Pollock said it isn't the first time graffiti has shown up on the golf course. He said his staff is keeping an eye out for suspicious activity and will report it to police.

Pollock said if he finds out who wrote the slur, he will press charges.

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