Two greens at the Beverley Park Golf Course were vandalised during the Easter weekend.
Between the close of play on Easter Saturday evening and Easter Sunday morning vandals damaged the 5th and 12th greens near the Targo Road boundary.
Damage to the greens will take up to three to four weeks to repair and bring the surfaces back to their previous state, according the the club’s course staff, Beverley Park Golf Club president Frank Bates said.
“It looks like the greens have been raked with a metal or wooden stake,” Mr Bates said.
The damage has been estimated at around $1800. St George Police have been informed.
“The additional repair work is yet another burden for the overworked five-member course staff, their budget and hectic work schedule,” Mr Bates said.
The club has lodged a development application to erect a 2.1-metre railing fence around the perimeter of the golf course which is being opposed by Beverley Park residents.
The club has said the fence is necessary to stop vandalism, anti-social behaviour and golfers using the course without paying which has caused the club to lose $55,000 a year in green fees.
The residents say the fence will see the removal of about 156 trees and bar access to the golf course which as Crown Land should be accessible to the public.
They say CCTV and extra security could be used to stop any vandalism.
The club said there is a small parcel of land that is Crown Land and the council owns the rest with the lease saying the club will not give right of way across the premises.
The development application is being reviewed by an independent consultant and then will be reviewed by the Independent Local Planning Panel.
“The club has had enough of the ongoing damage to the course, losing over $100,000 per annum due to people hopping over the old dilapidated wooden logs at the back end of the course and playing for nothing, as well as the ongoing damage and anti-social behaviour,” Mr Bates said.
“All other courses in the St George district and the shire have security fences erected for obvious reasons and we want to bring Beverley Park into line with them.
“Like any business which services more than 50,000 games a year and costs more than $900,000 to maintain, we need to ensure it is locked up and kept safe during the night.”
