Fife golf clubs targeted in crime spree

Police Scotland is appealing for information after three different Fife golf clubs were targeted by criminals in recent weeks.

According to a report in The Courier, the tenth green at Lochgelly Golf Club had to be completely relaid after vandals set fire to tins of paint on it last week. 

Club president Derek Clark told the newspaper: “It’s just wanton destruction and extremely disappointing for club staff who have worked wonders during the coronavirus lockdown to get the course looking the best it’s ever looked.

“All local clubs operate on small margins to survive so any vandalism is ultimately a threat to the livelihood of the club as golfers will go elsewhere.”

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The nearby Glenrothes and Cowdenbeath golf clubs also reported multiple flags being stolen from greens at both clubs during the past week. 

For Glenrothes, the thefts came a fortnight after £5,000 worth of greenkeeping equipment and turf was stolen in two separate break-ins. Fortunately, all of the items were recovered after the club professional, Josh Anderson, found them for sale on the internet.

“The theft of flags was more of an inconvenience than a big financial cost but the specialised ball release mechanisms that we’ve introduced as a safety measure post-lockdown, were stolen too,” Anderson told The Courier.

“We had to cancel competitions while the equipment was replaced and that can be bad for business.

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“It’s hugely frustrating but the incidents are sadly on the rise at a time when we are seeing a surge in demand for golf as coronavirus restrictions continue to be relaxed.”

Lochgelly president Clark added: “Being one of the first sports to start up as we ease out of lockdown has seen a huge influx of new members but the future of many clubs could be threatened if we don’t put a stop to such mindless destruction as we’ve seen this week.”

Anybody with any information about any of these incidents should call Police Scotland on the 101 non-emergency number.