By ALANA MITCHELSON
Vandals and thieves have inflicted thousands of dollars’ worth of damage on Bannockburn’s struggling golf club.
Bannockburn Golf Club secretary Dick Van Den Bosch said hoons had torn up the course and burglars had targeted the clubhouse and workshop several times over the past month.
“Hoons have done wheelies on the course, tearing up one of the fairways two weeks ago and again last week at a different part of the course,” he said.
“They’re doing burnouts on the lawn at the back of the golf course where the bush track backs on to remote access of the golf course.
“It just tears up the mowed grass and puts holes in the fairways.
“And why? Just for fun, or what they consider fun, but it’s definitely not fun for our volunteers who have to pick up the pieces.”
The club estimated the cost of the vandalism and break-ins at $8500.
“About four weeks ago thieves stole a small truck, water cart, some fuel from the shed and three small motorbikes that some of the older golfers used to get around the course.
“Now they haven’t been able to play anymore,” Mr Van Den Bosch said.
The string of incidents had prompted the club to install infrared surveillance cameras in the clubhouse and workshop, he said.
“These vandals need to understand that the course is entirely run by volunteers.
“Every time they ruin our course, those volunteers have to pick that time back up and deal with the damage they’ve caused.
“We have some insurance but not a whole lot.
“It’s going to cost us to replace what was stolen and put extra security measures in place to try to catch the people responsible.”
Mr Van Den Bosch said volunteers had spent weeks preparing the course for this weekend’s Bannockburn Open tournament.
“We wanted to present it in the best possible condition,” Mr Van Den Bosch said.
“It’s not as good as we’d hoped but the numbers are good and the weather promises to be good, so we’re keeping positive.
Eighteen months ago the Indy reported the club was battling for members and had launched a campaign to attract new players from Geelong’s northern suburbs.
