LIV Golf professional Harold Varner III found himself at the center of an unusual golf-course controversy last week after he and members of his group were asked to leave an Indiana public golf course following a disagreement over group size.
The incident occurred Tuesday, August 18, at Bear Slide Golf Club in Cicero, Indiana, just days before Varner competed in the LIV Golf Indianapolis event at The Club at Chatham Hills. The two courses are approximately 10 miles apart, making Bear Slide a convenient choice for golfers preparing for the season-ending LIV tournament.
According to Bear Slide, Varner had reserved a tee time for four golfers but arrived approximately 30 minutes late with six players. The club said it accommodated the larger party but instructed the golfers to play as two separate groups of three because six-player groups were not permitted.
The disagreement reportedly continued at the first tee. The club said members of the group repeatedly asked whether they could play together as a sixsome. The starter declined and reportedly directed Varner to the pro shop if he wanted additional clarification. According to Bear Slide, the pro shop also told Varner on three occasions that a sixsome was not permitted, particularly because other golfers were playing behind them.
The golfers ultimately began their round as two threesomes and played the first three holes separately. Bear Slide said the groups came together on the par-3 fourth hole, where club staff observed all six golfers playing the hole together.
After the fourth green, the club instructed the group to return its golf carts to the clubhouse. Bear Slide said the golfers were refunded and informed that they were no longer welcome to continue their round.
The club also pushed back against reports that Varner’s group had no golfers behind them. Bear Slide stated that there was a group waiting on the fourth tee, another group on the third hole and two additional groups on the second hole, reported The Golf Channel. The club said maintaining a reasonable pace of play was among the reasons for enforcing its four-player policy.
Varner Disputes the Club’s Account
Varner subsequently offered his own version of events through an Instagram statement, saying the golf club’s account contained inaccuracies and did not fairly represent what happened.
According to Varner, the group was attempting to play a three-on-three scramble rather than operate as a conventional sixsome. He said one group would complete a hole while the other group watched before proceeding, allowing the players to remain separated during play.
Varner maintained that the six golfers never combined into a single group and said the group respected the starter’s instructions after being told that they could not play together. According to Yahoo News, he also disputed the club’s claim that golfers behind them were being delayed.
Varner further stated that he was not personally approached or asked to leave the course. Instead, he said the starter spoke with the second group at the conclusion of the fourth hole because the starter believed the golfers were attempting to combine.
According to Varner, once the message was relayed, the entire party left the course respectfully and without incident.
The conflicting accounts have left two different interpretations of what happened at Bear Slide. The golf club maintains that its employees witnessed six golfers playing together and that the group disregarded repeated instructions concerning the course’s group-size policy. Varner maintains that the golfers remained in separate groups and that the situation resulted from a misunderstanding over how the three-on-three format was being conducted.
A Larger Conversation About Golf Etiquette
While the incident may appear minor compared with the competitive drama surrounding professional golf, it highlights one of the fundamental principles of the game: golf-course rules generally apply to everyone, regardless of playing ability, professional status or affiliation.
Bear Slide emphasized that point in its statement, saying it believes golfers should be treated equally and follow the same rules regardless of their connections or accomplishments. (Golf Channel)
That message carries particular relevance as professional golfers increasingly interact with public courses away from tournament venues. PGA Tour and LIV Golf players regularly practice and play recreational rounds at courses near tournament sites, but their presence can also attract attention from other golfers and course staff.
Varner, a North Carolina native, joined LIV Golf in 2022 after establishing himself on the PGA Tour. He earned his first LIV Golf individual victory at LIV Golf Washington, D.C., in 2023 and has remained a prominent figure on the Saudi-backed circuit. In 2026, he competes for OKGC, the rebranded Oklahoma-based team.
At the time of the Bear Slide incident, Varner was preparing for LIV Golf’s season finale in Indianapolis. He entered Sunday’s final round tied for 16th at 9-under par and was ninth in the season-long individual standings. (Yahoo News)
The controversy did not involve tournament competition, nor was Varner accused of violating a LIV Golf rule. Instead, it centered on the everyday etiquette and operational policies of a public golf course.
For Bear Slide, the episode became an opportunity to reinforce its position that course policies exist to protect the experience and pace of play for everyone. For Varner, it became an unusual distraction during an important week in the LIV Golf season.
Ultimately, the incident remains a matter of competing accounts. The club has defended its decision to remove the group, while Varner has rejected key elements of the club’s description of the events.
Regardless of which version readers find most convincing, the episode provides a familiar reminder for golfers at every level: professional credentials may travel anywhere, but on a public golf course, the rules still travel with everyone.
