A Michigan golf club may be forced to use a pair of temporary greens for all of 2023 after vandals gouged the course last weekend, doing what could wind up costing the course over $100,000 to repair.
Lake Doster Golf Club sits about 15 miles north of Kalamazoo, but within an easy drive of other cities like Battle Creek and Grand Rapids. The 18-hole course has seen minor damage in the past at the hand of vandals, but nothing like what happened Saturday evening, when multiple ruts were dug deep into the course.
The club’s head pro, Matt Townsley, told Kalamazoo’s WWMT-TV that he’s crestfallen by the senseless act.
“Disrespect does not even come close. We’ve spent hours and hours and hours prepping this golf course to make it great, and just to lose those two greens is going to be a detriment to the golf course,” Townsley told the TV station.
“I’m worried they’re going to have to completely tear the green apart and resod it. Possibly have to have temporary greens for almost probably that whole next year. We just don’t quite know how to fix it quite yet.”
The damage, as seen on social media, was significant.
If caught, any suspect could be facing a felony charge, according to Townsley, who added the course had filed a police report. The course is offering a reward to anyone who can help identify the vandals.
“I’ve had multiple, multiple people, call me, text me. The outreach from the community has been great but it’s all just disturbing. Everybody’s just so disgusted with what has happened,” Townsley told the station.
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