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The golf instructor at Bethpage State Park in New York accuses her former business partner of embezzling more than $300,000 – and then tries to blame others for his actions.
Kelley Brooke, an instructor who was named LPGA Professional of the Year in 2018, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the company’s former vice president, Paul O’Donoghue, stole money during his six years running the pro shop at Bethpage on Long Island .
According to the lawsuit, O’Donoghue stole cash receipts before they were even deposited into Bethpage Golf’s bank account “on more than two thousand occasions over a six-year period.”
O’Donoghue has reportedly issued more than 1,000 cash refunds to golf cart rental customers, despite the golf course having a strict policy against cash refunds.
The lawsuit alleges that he covered up his actions by making bogus charges in the golf course’s cash register system under the names of other employees – including a teenager with autism who worked at a range ball picker machine.
Kelley Brooke, the golf instructor at Bethpage State Park Golf Course, is suing her former business partner for embezzling more than $300,000 over several years
O’Donoghue allegedly stole 17 payments that he believed were made by that employee – even though the boy had no access to the system or its registers, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that he accepted 18 cash payments in 2022 and 2023 that were “paid” by an employee who died the year before. Other “participants” included someone who left their job in 2020 and an accountant from another state who had never taken the course.
“As a result of O’Donoghue’s fraudulent activities, which involved the theft of more than three hundred thousand dollars in cash from Bethpage Golf by recording false entries in the point-of-sale system more than two thousand times, Bethpage Golf suffered damages “seeking various relief,” it said it in the lawsuit.
Bethpage Golf Group – of which Brooke is president – has operated the on-site pro shop as well as the driving range, golf cart rentals and private course bookings since January 2018.
According to the lawsuit, Brooke and O’Donoghue shared responsibilities: Brooke oversaw the larger operations and O’Donoghue ran the pro shop on a day-to-day basis.
The lawsuit states that O’Donoghue was the “only person in possession of the pro shop’s daily receipts” – which allowed him to carry out his schemes without anyone noticing.
Until Brooke looked back at the books and discovered “anomalies” in several parts of the finances – which apparently only happened when O’Donoghue was working.
O’Donoghue was once confronted with stealing more than $3,000 from the caddies. When asked about it, he said that he had taken it and that he would give it back – but he never did.
Brooke (l) claims Paul O’Donoghue covered his tracks by recording charges under the names of various employees – including an autistic teenager who worked at the driving range
The famous Black course at Bethpage State Park will host the Ryder Cup in 2025
O’Donoghue also allegedly stole $3,000 from the Bethpage Golf safe, which was not returned after he was confronted with it. He is also said to have stolen several small amounts of cash and forged Brooke’s signature several times – including on a check for $4,000.
The lawsuit says Brooke fired him in July.
This is the latest in a long back and forth between the two parties, which began when O’Donoghue sued Brooke, claiming he owned half of the company. Brooke claims he only owns 30 percent.
Brooke claims that she put $2.3 million into Bethpage Golf and that’s why she owns more shares of the company. O’Donoghue rejects these claims.
Bethpage State Park Golf Course is one of the most historic and well-known public golf facilities in the United States – it features five golf courses, including the famous “Black” golf course.
Bethpage Black hosted the US Open in 2002 and 2009 as well as the 2019 PGA Championship.
The 2025 Ryder Cup is scheduled to take place on the Black Course next year.
