Quad bike yobs cause £5,000 worth of damage at prestigious Leeds golf club

Vandals riding a quad bike have ripped up turf on the greens at a local course while horrified golfers looked on.
By Grace Newton
Published 27th Feb 2019, 13:07 BST
Updated 27th Feb 2019, 14:12 BST
Quad bike damage at Howley Hall Golf ClubQuad bike damage at Howley Hall Golf Club
Quad bike damage at Howley Hall Golf Club

The wrecking spree has caused £5,000 worth of damage at Howley Hall Golf Club in Morley just weeks before the start of the summer season.

The prestigious course claims to have the best four finishing holes in Yorkshire and hosts the PGA Yorkshire Open Championship.

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Two men in their late teens or early 20s rode a quad bike onto the course at around 5pm on Tuesday when golfers were still playing.

The vandalism spree left deep tread marks in the grassThe vandalism spree left deep tread marks in the grass
The vandalism spree left deep tread marks in the grass

They churned up the 14th hole while members were teeing off, before riding onto the 16th green and causing further damage. They then fled in the direction of Woodkirk.

The club's head professional Ryan Rastall said:-

“It’s a real disappointment having to deal with this any time of the year, but especially so close to the start of our main golfing season (April to October). The golf course will take time to recover and it will cost a significant amount of money to repair the damage, but as a club we feel for our members and guests that enjoy playing here.”

It's not the first time a golf club in Leeds has been targeted by nuisance bikers.

The quad bikers turned up when members were still playing on the holeThe quad bikers turned up when members were still playing on the hole
The quad bikers turned up when members were still playing on the hole
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In 2016, Gotts Park Golf Club in Armley and South Leeds Golf Club in Middleton both suffered green damage in separate incidents within weeks of each other.

The 10th hole at Gotts Park was out of action for sixth months after a quad bike was driven over it shortly before Christmas - leaving the club fearing members would drift away.

Vandals struck the following month at South Leeds and left tyre tracks on the greens.

The previous winter, in February 2016, a serious spate of crime had seen the two 18-hole courses at Temple Newsam targeted. A diesel trailer was dumped on its roof and the pro shop was ram raided alongside incidents involving quad bikers accessing the site.