Car ‘drives at 80mph’ on golf course

A car containing three young men has driven onto a nine-hole golf course in Lancashire, causing significant damage.

It is the latest case of vandals attacking golf courses during lockdowns.

The car performed a series of ‘donuts’ on the surface at Southport Golf Academy before driving off at a high speed, all witnessed by the venue’s operations director, James Carpenter.

He was maintaining the course at the time.

He said: “I was working on the course on foot. There’s one part of the course where a track of road runs alongside it.

“A car came along with a few lads in it, stinking of stuff they shouldn’t have been smoking.

“They went past on the main road but I didn’t think too much of it at first.

“They took a left onto this track doing silly speeds.

“They went out of my sight but it was going dark so I could still see the lights so I knew where the track they were on doesn’t go anywhere.

“They went to the end of that track where there’s nowhere to go, then went on the second fairway, did a couple donuts, turned around and flew past me at about 80mph.

“I was on foot so couldn’t do anything.”

Southport Golf Academy. Image from Facebook

Although there is CCTV footage at the entrance to Leisure Lakes, James said the quality is not clear enough to get a view of the licence plate but he described the vehicle as a 15-reg, dark grey BMW 3 Series.

He believes that the trip to the golf course was opportunistic rather than pre-planned and suggested that if the ground had been wetter, the car could have got stuck.

“If it was me in a 3 Series, I wouldn’t take it down effectively a dirt track. It would be very surprising for anyone to drive their own car like that.”

He added it is hugely frustrating to have to deal with the damage but is confident that the ground can be back in good condition by the time restrictions on the venue opening are lifted.

On Facebook the venue wrote: ‘So you spend all day on the golf course every day since closing, ensuring that all essential maintenance is taken care of, in order to present the best possible facility for our users when we re-open, and someone thinks this is a fun idea. Not only is this moronic at the best of times, to do it in view of staff working on the course requires a different level of idiocy.

‘With 12 weeks of closures (most of which in peak golfing season) 2020, as for most, has been a tough year. Despite its challenges, staff have worked tirelessly (often behind the scenes) to deliver a quality environment for everyone to enjoy golf. We must admit that for someone to show such a low level of respect for that work, it stings. Rest assured though, it will get repaired, along with all of the other work that normally disrupts the playability of the course this time of year, meaning nothing to get in the way of welcoming golfers back in December!

‘Somewhat annoyingly, if the course wasn’t so dry, they may have gotten stuck. Can’t have it all ways I guess!’

There have been several cases of yobs vandalising golf courses this year, especially during lockdowns. Last week Cleeve Hill Golf Club reported a similar incident, as did Furness Golf Club recently.

Anyone with information on the incident at Southport Golf Academy can contact Lancashire Police on 101, quoting reference 1293 of November 9.