Bikers rode across a green at Ashburnham Golf Club in Carmarthenshire, leaving deep tyre marks and making the surface unusable. The incident occurred after 6pm on Sunday, October 11, at the club in Burry Port, which was first founded in 1894.
The club believes two bikes were ridden on the 12th green, although it is not known exactly what type of vehicles were used. The course has been described as “one of the finest and oldest golf courses in Wales” by top100golfcourses.com.
Police notified over 'unacceptable' damage
There are no CCTV cameras covering the area around the 12th green, but club officials have notified Dyfed-Powys Police about the damage caused. Dyfed-Powys Police has been contacted by Wales Online for a comment.
A club official at Ashburnham Golf Club said: “We are extremely disappointed to report significant damage to the 12th green, caused by bikes being ridden across the putting surface outside of club hours. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Our greens staff work tirelessly to maintain the course and this kind of vandalism causes unnecessary damage, affects playing conditions and takes valuable time and resources to repair.
Green repaired and reopened
The 12th green was unplayable due to the damage and the hole was closed off on Monday. However, the club’s greenkeeping team have already carried out work to improve the surface and make it playable again, with the 12th hole able to reopen for play on Tuesday.
The club official added: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our fantastic greenkeeping team for their hard work and dedication in getting the 12th green back open for play following the vandalism that occurred on Sunday evening.
“Their commitment, professionalism and swift response have been greatly appreciated, allowing our members and visitors to enjoy the course as quickly as possible.
“We are incredibly grateful to have such a dedicated team working tirelessly to maintain the high standards at Ashburnham Golf Club. Thank you, team, for all your hard work. It does not go unnoticed.”
