Golf club forced to close public access points due to vandalism

A Midlands golf club that has suffered vandalism and antisocial behaviour has been forced to close public access points due to the damage caused.

Dudley Golf Club said the decision to close off public footpaths had been taken with reluctance.

It came as ITV News showed a video that the club had posted on social media of what appeared to be a group of six young people on the green, picking up the course flags, throwing them around and using them to hit one another.

“This has been happening for a while now,” course manager, Stewart Marshall, said.

Image from Facebook

“We’ve had more than 50 flags stolen, and there have been other problems too. We find drug paraphernalia, there’s underage drinking. It’s caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage – maybe even over £1,000 at this point.”

He said the 130-year-old club plays a big part in the local community – but it had taken the reluctant decision to close off a number of access points to try to limit the damage and thefts.

“It’s such a shame – golf is a rapidly growing sport and we’re getting new members coming from all over the Midlands,” he added.

“There are public footpaths through the course that we have to keep open, but we’ve had to do what we can.”