This is the horrendous damage vandals made to a Manchester golf course

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir October 9, 2019 11:16

Greenkeepers at a Greater Manchester golf club have been carrying out exceptional, urgent and essential work after an off-road buggy was seen performing ‘doughnuts’ on the greens.

Images emerged at the end of September on Prestwich Golf Club’s greenkeepers’ Facebook page of the damage done.

© Facebook

According to the Manchester Evening News (MEN), it is believed someone managed to gain access to the golf club via a path from nearby Kersal Moor before driving across a green, fairway and teeing complex.

The course was left badly damaged, with evidence of tyre marks and mounds of turf having been torn up.

The golf club estimates it will cost them tens of thousands of pounds to repair the damage – but within a week the images show significant progress has been made.

© Facebook

Golf course manager, Chris Harding, said: “The damage is horrendous, it has been completely shredded.

“It is going to cost a hell of a lot of money to repair.”

A major remodelling of the course, costing just shy of £1m, had been taking place at the club.

© Facebook

The work, funded by a payment from a developer as part of an agreement to build 17 luxury homes on part of the old course, has meant half the course has been closed for over a year while contractors carry out work on the scheme, which will see 11 holes altered.

Harding said the damaged section of course had only been laid down for three months and is yet to be played on.

It had been hoped that the course would be ready to play on by June, but the latest act of vandalism has proved a major setback to that schedule and has left members ‘gutted’.

“The club doesn’t deserve this,” said Harding.

“There has been a good buzz about the place, but everyone is just feeling flat now.

“It’s heartbreaking after all the work and dedication that has gone into it.

© Facebook

“A lot of time and money has gone into building the course and making sure it is ready to play on.

“It is going to take a lot of time and effort to get us back on schedule.”

A number of people in the industry condemned the vandalism on The Golf Business and GreenKeeping’s LinkedIn pages.

“I hope if you find them, you hold them accountable for full damages. Grass seed, or sod, is not cheap. These kind of things happen far too often. Especially to clubs surrounded by homes and neighbourhoods. Sorry to see this happen,” said golf professional Steve McCreight.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed the force had received a report of the incident, adding: “The damage is believed to have been caused by an off-road four wheel drive vehicle that has been driven on the green.

 

© Facebook

“No arrests have been made at this stage and anyone with information should contact police on 101.”

 

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir October 9, 2019 11:16
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