Vandals Strike Historic Scottish Golf Course

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

WHAT is it with people who decide that it is fun to vandalise golf courses? Where's the kick? Where's the fun in it?

The course where I play has been targeted on a couple of occasions - we have had greens ripped up, we have had oil poured on greens and we have had our flags stolen - to be discovered months later hidden inside the trunk of one of our mature trees. Why would anybody do that?

And why would anybody decide that it is a good idea to vandalise one of the oldest golf courses in the world? Musselburgh Golf Club was formed way back in 1774 and originally played over the famous nine-hole links course at Levenhall, Musselburgh. The Old Club Cup, which has been awarded at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club since 1774, is the oldest trophy still competitively played for in the world. The oldest golf club in the world is the nearby The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, founded in 1735.

But in 1926 the golf club moved to the parkland course at Prestongrange House, Prestonpans, East Lothian, which was designed by the legendary James Braid.

The place is steeped in history, but that mattered little to the idiots who opted to take a car and drive it over the 10th winter green and fairway, causing plenty of damage in the process.

Whatever idiot done this to the 10th winter green & Fairway last night . I hope you are proud of yourself. pic.twitter.com/eD6WF0ndvk

— R.M.G.C GREENS (@RMGCGREENS1) December 12, 2016

Club President Craig Mackay urged the police to find those responsible.

Mr. Mackay said: “Staff and members of the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club have been left dismayed by the mindless vandalism caused to the course. As a self-funding charity this has a significant detrimental effect on us and I can only hope that those responsible are traced and dealt with appropriately by the Criminal Justice System.”

Today's repairs from the mindless vandalism we suffered went very well. Thanks to all the staff for their hard work pic.twitter.com/slhDnDrkBB

— R.M.G.C GREENS (@RMGCGREENS1) December 13, 2016

The club had the last laugh, however, with its green staff performing a minor miracle to repair both green and fairway and get them both back into play in double-quick time.