Golf club closes public access points after spate of vandalism attacks

A golf club in the Black Country has closed public access points onto its course following a spate of vandalism and thefts.

Dudley Golf Club posted a video on social media, showing 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,” the course manager, Stewart Marshall, told ITV News Central.

“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 club, which has been there for around 130 years, played a big part in the community - but they had taken the reluctant decision to close off a number of access points to try to limit the damage.

“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.”

The club said the damage, which happened on Wednesday evening (August 31), has been reported to police. Bosses are appealing for anyone who recognises the people in the video to come forward.