September 30, 2025 – Recently, a video went viral on social media, showing a self-driving car from Google’s Waymo making its way onto a golf course and driving across the greens. Unlike the typical scenarios where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles stick to designated roads, this particular car was seen cruising directly over the grass, just a few meters away from onlookers. Laughter from bystanders could be heard as the vehicle moved slowly across the course.
As speculation swirled online, Waymo stepped in to clear up the confusion. The company explained that the vehicle featured in the widely shared clip was not operating in autonomous mode at the time. Instead, it was being manually driven by a human operator. In a statement, Waymo clarified, “Hi everyone, the car was being driven by a person and was preparing for an event at Penmar Golf Course.”
The video also caught the attention of Tesla enthusiasts, with many pointing out that if a Tesla self-driving taxi had been involved in a similar incident, the electric vehicle maker would likely have faced harsh criticism from the media.
