Quad bike vandals leave trail of destruction on Leeds golf course

Vandals have wreaked havoc on another of the city's golf courses, tearing up greens by riding around on a quad bike.
Greenkeepers discovered this damage to a green at South Leeds Golf Club earlier this week.Greenkeepers discovered this damage to a green at South Leeds Golf Club earlier this week.
Greenkeepers discovered this damage to a green at South Leeds Golf Club earlier this week.

The YEP reported last month on the costly damage caused at Gotts Park Golf Club in Armley, which members feared could threaten the future of the course.

Now thoughtless riders have struck twice in a matter of weeks at South Leeds Golf Club in Middleton.

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Course director David Appleyard said: "We had an issue probably about a week after Gotts Park and another similar one on Monday that's caused more significant damage than they did previously.

The vandals are believed to have used this access point to get onto the green at South Leeds Golf Club. Picture: GoogleThe vandals are believed to have used this access point to get onto the green at South Leeds Golf Club. Picture: Google
The vandals are believed to have used this access point to get onto the green at South Leeds Golf Club. Picture: Google

"It's obviously happening to other courses in Leeds, not just Gotts park."

The damage to a green at South Leeds Golf Club was discovered on Tuesday morning by the greenkeepers and is believed to have taken place some time after the morning check the previous day.

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Mr Appleyard said: "They've been on with a quadbike. It's all chewed up.There are tyre tracks on the greens."

Another green was partially closed last month after this damage was caused.Another green was partially closed last month after this damage was caused.
Another green was partially closed last month after this damage was caused.

It is believed that the vandals gained access from the ring road, which runs through the middle of the course, and use the entrance designed for golf carts.

Mr Appleyard said the club would not just be hit with the considerable cost of repairs, but also the potential loss of revenue from fees and memberships now that one of the greens was unusable.

"We're going to have to close the whole green until we can repair it fully," he said. "It's a bad time of year to be regrowing the grass too."

He said another green had been left partially unusable following the earlier vandalism, but it had been possible to relocate the hole in that case to allow play to continue.

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