Vandals attack golf course – weeks after closure reprieve

Vandals have wreaked havoc at a popular Scottish municipal golf course, less than two months after it successfully staved off the threat of closure.

Caird Park in Dundee has been besieged by hooligans in recent weeks.

Youths on motorcycles have been spotted driving over the course, damaging multiple greens in the process. Currently, five are understood to be out of use.

According to one local, the damage to the 17th green, in particular, is likely to render it unusable for the remainder of this year.

“Even though it’s the same bikers every week the police have done nothing,” a source told bunkered.co.uk.

“The course is on parkland so there are numerous ways onto the course but no-one’s done anything to stop cars, quads or bikes gaining access.

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“Part of the problem is they closed Camperdown golf course and Caird Park is right in the middle of two or three housing estates, so it’s an easy target.”

The damage will come as a bitter blow to the golfers who are dependent on what is the last remaining public course in Scotland’s fourth biggest city.

Dundee City Council had earmarked the 18-hole and nine-hole tracks at Caird Park for closure earlier this year as part of a raft of proposals to plug a £24million financial black hole.

In the face of a furious backlash, they ultimately decided to keep the courses open for at least the next 12 months, dipping into reserves of more than £6million whilst “consultation on various service proposals takes place”.

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At the time of this decision, council leader John Alexander told The Courier: “The budget is only for the year 2024/25 as we only receive year-to-year funding from Scottish Government so to be fair, that is always the case.

“I’m confident that through the work we’ve asked officers to do to maximise usage, look at sponsorship and alternative funding, alternative delivery models etc, that we can avoid closure.

“Closure should always be the absolutely last resort and plugging the gap for the year ahead gives us the space to work on the problem.”

To what extent the damage done by the vandals impacts Caird Park’s long-term future remains to be seen but with green fee income likely to be impacted and investment required for repairs, it’s a problem the course and those who use it can ill afford.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor