Historic golf course ripped apart by ‘disgusting’ vandals

A head greenkeeper has been left heartbroken after the greens on his cherished municipal course were ripped apart by vandals.

Gary Rodger, the greenkeeper at the historic Braid Hills in Edinburgh, has taken to social media to share his dismay as the course continues to be targeted with damage.

Several greens have been carved up by what Rodger insists are people riding E-bikes.

And worryingly for members at Braid Hills, a popular heathland venue that first opened in 1893, there are fears there could be yet more damage more to come.

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“Absolutely heartbreaking,” Rodger wrote on X.

“We’ve been working flat with only 50% staff for last 3 weeks trying our best to keep the standards high only come in to this, dreading more damage this week.”

Rodger confirmed that he was expecting to speak to police about the incident on Monday afternoon.

The grim update, as expected, has led to widespread outrage on social media, as well as support for the Braid Hills municipal course.

Golfers described the damage as ‘disgusting’, ‘despicable’ and ‘disgraceful’, while Brady Hatfield added: “This legitimately makes me angry, and my heart hurts for you and your team.”

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“Sadly, it’s now everywhere,” Hilary Taylor wrote.

Indeed, this kind of problem has been surfacing on courses across the UK and seems to be on the rise.

Just last week on Merseyside, vandals targeted all 18 putting surfaces of Bootle Golf Club, an 18-hole parkland layout that has been an important community asset since the 1930s.

“It is concerning and disheartening to see a much-loved community facility damaged and vandalised to this degree by a few selfish individuals,” said a spokesperson for the local Merseyside authorities.

Meanwhile, as reported by the Stoke Sentinel, similar damage which will cost thousands to repair at Burslem Golf Club has led to the “resignation of disgruntled golfers” at the course.

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.