Maintenance and grounds crews at the Golden Golf Club have been forced to deal with an unexpected obstacle just as the club is set to open its doors for the 2014 season.
Between the evening of April 20 and the morning of April 21, someone entered the course grounds and performed a series of donuts and spinouts on the second green with what appears to be a small car. Club staff notified the RCMP, and police surveyed the damage on Apr. 22.
The damage was extensive, and Superintendent Wade Duchman and his crew have been working around the clock to get the green ready as soon as possible.
“There was a bunch of grass ripped out. We are about 20 hours into the repair so far,” said Duchman.
This is not the first incident of vandalism the club has suffered in the past year. Vandals committed a similar act last fall on the fairway of the same hole.
“We think it’s the same car…there are similar tread marks (from last year) and it’s a super small car,” Duchman said.
The second hole is particularly vulnerable because of its proximity to Gorman Lake Road.
Other than the case of vandalism, Head Pro Graeme Kreiner says the course is in good shape and will open without any temporary greens, a rare luxury for the club. The back nine is expected to open this weekend and the front nine a week later, as was the plan even before the vandalism incident.
Duchman says it’s hard to tell when the second green will be ready, but the club does have a spare 19th hole for instances like these that could come into play.
Anyone with any information regarding the vandalism is asked to contact the Golden RCMP at 250-344-2221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
