Kids - Vandalism

[louise_a]

This afternoon after our competition word came back to the clubhouse that there were some kids in the 12th green digging with spades! Some of the chaps in the clubhouse went down and saw them off but there are lots of chunks taken out of the green. Hopefully the greens staff will be able to sort it out quickly.

We are very close to a road and don't have a long drive like a lot of clubs but we don't normally have too many problems but this is another level.

I hope it isn't a taste of what we will get over the 6 week school holidays.

 

[Coffey]

We had the same issue a couple of weeks ago. Some kids came in and started digging up one of the greens, to be fair to the greens keepers, they have replaced the damaged area very well and you wouldnt even notice it unless pointed out. We also now have the flags removed at 9pm as the kids were coming along and using them as javelins.. Our course is located along a coastal path which is used a lot by drinking teenagers!

I was also playing one night when I seen another member having a go at some of them while they were on our 6th tee box, no idea what was going on or what happened as I was quite far away but i could see a lot of finger pointing.

Luckily we haven't had too many more issues recently.

Hopefully there isn't anymore on your course and it gets sorted quickly

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Really don't see what drives these idiots to do this sort of thing but I can't really see what Louise's club can do to protect itself (other than putting fencing up which I assume will have cost/planning implications). I use to play at Wimbledon Common and to be fair given it was public land we got away with it quite lightly bar some missing flags. Mind you that was a different era altogether (70's) and vandalism never seemed to be as prevalent. With no deterrents even if the culprits are caught it's something more and more courses will suffer I fear

 

[rob_golf1]

This doesn't quite count as vandalism nor related to kids, but our overnight Marshall as seen an increase in 'intimate moments' over the last few weeks. We've given him a personal alarm incase he gets roped in 😂

 

[HomerJSimpson]

This doesn't quite count as vandalism nor related to kids, but our overnight Marshall as seen an increase in 'intimate moments' over the last few weeks. We've given him a personal alarm incase he gets roped in 😂

That might be what's he hoping for (or he's a voyeur)

 

[Deleted member 18645]

This doesn't quite count as vandalism nor related to kids, but our overnight Marshall as seen an increase in 'intimate moments' over the last few weeks. We've given him a personal alarm incase he gets roped in 

I've got three clubs in my "collection" of such experiences with ladies of previous and current relationships

 

[IanM]

I've got three clubs in my "collection" of such experiences with ladies of previous and current relationships

...rake the bunker after

 

[MartynB]

A club I play at is plagued with the daft lads on quad bikes doing donuts on the fairway but also on one of the greens which ripped up like a ploughed field.

 

[ScienceBoy]

This is horrendous and should not be happening.

Clubs need to address this, find out who these people are and deal with them.

I suggest getting them into the club, giving free lessons or maybe offering jobs with the green staff for the summer?

Get them to see it from the clubs/members point of view, getting them out of trouble and maybe putting money into their pockets or the club if they take up the game?

 

[clubchamp98]

This is horrendous and should not be happening.

Clubs need to address this, find out who these people are and deal with them.

I suggest getting them into the club, giving free lessons or maybe offering jobs with the green staff for the summer?

Get them to see it from the clubs/members point of view, getting them out of trouble and maybe putting money into their pockets or the club if they take up the game?

This is exactly what we did .
we found out who they were invited them and their parents to the club .
we offered them some lessons and membership 5pm to8pm what happened was these lads stopped the others damaging the course as they started to enjoy the game.
One of them is now a +3 county player and really nice lad .
Confrontation in this scenario never works you need to get them on your side to stop others like we did It works.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

This is exactly what we did .
we found out who they were invited them and their parents to the club .
we offered them some lessons and membership 5pm to8pm what happened was these lads stopped the others damaging the course as they started to enjoy the game.
One of them is now a +3 county player and really nice lad .
Confrontation in this scenario never works you need to get them on your side to stop others like we did It works.

Great idea and good to see something like that working.

For all those that ignore this and continue to be a nuisance and cause damage, then I think perhaps putting them in the practice nets and letting members have a pop at them for 10 minutes before teeing off is a good idea!!!

 

[patricks148]

Great idea and good to see something like that working.

For all those that ignore this and continue to be a nuisance and cause damage, then I think perhaps putting them in the practice nets and letting members have a pop at them for 10 minutes before teeing off is a good idea!!!

we don't have any nets so my suggestion would be make them collect the range balls... by hand while its in use.

 

[woody69]

Really don't see what drives these idiots to do this sort of thing but I can't really see what Louise's club can do to protect itself (other than putting fencing up which I assume will have cost/planning implications). I use to play at Wimbledon Common and to be fair given it was public land we got away with it quite lightly bar some missing flags. Mind you that was a different era altogether (70's) and vandalism never seemed to be as prevalent. With no deterrents even if the culprits are caught it's something more and more courses will suffer I fear

Kids are always being kids. Bored, egging each other on, lack of responsibility. It was as bad in the 70s as it is now. The reason you didn't hear about it was because social media, and the internet didn't exist. It's not because kids are somehow worse now than in your day.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

This is exactly what we did .
we found out who they were invited them and their parents to the club .
we offered them some lessons and membership 5pm to8pm what happened was these lads stopped the others damaging the course as they started to enjoy the game.
One of them is now a +3 county player and really nice lad .
Confrontation in this scenario never works you need to get them on your side to stop others like we did It works.

What a great idea/result. Must of been hard to have taken that course of action.

 

[ScienceBoy]

This is exactly what we did .
we found out who they were invited them and their parents to the club .
we offered them some lessons and membership 5pm to8pm what happened was these lads stopped the others damaging the course as they started to enjoy the game.
One of them is now a +3 county player and really nice lad .
Confrontation in this scenario never works you need to get them on your side to stop others like we did It works.

Your club should write an article for national club golfer magazine or something.

I've always hoped this solution would work or at least some clubs have tried it.

It may not always work but can't hurt to engage with the families in a positive way.

 

[virtuocity]

It may not always work but can't hurt to engage with the families in a positive way.

2 pages and not one call for a return of national service or a good clip round the ear.

This progressive, positive and effective thinking disappoints me, forumites.

 

[Deleted member 18645]

I think we should round them all up, put them in a field ... and then bomb the b........s....!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think we should round them all up, put them in a field ... and then bomb the b........s....!!!!

With defence cuts we'd miss

 

[clubchamp98]

What a great idea/result. Must of been hard to have taken that course of action.

Yes it was some of the members were very much against it.
But it did work .
It was mostly bordem on their part they used to play shots off the greens taking big divots.
We tried to teach them the proper way to play . Once they got into it they were just ordinary lads.
The main benefit was they stopped the younger ones damaging the course because they had a vested interest .
when I was a lad the vandalism was just the same it's no worse now.

 

[clubchamp98]

Your club should write an article for national club golfer magazine or something.

I've always hoped this solution would work or at least some clubs have tried it.

It may not always work but can't hurt to engage with the families in a positive way.

This was my old club almost 15 yrs ago I would not remember any names.
I do see the one lad who plays county golf watched him at Hillside trying to get a spot in the open he fell short but gave it a go.
I do think golf clubs need to pull in more young people they are the future but it's still associated with the "rich" until you show them anyone can play.
But confrontation on the course just breeds more damage as you get "I will show them snobby *******s" and more damage.

Who knows our next open champion may come from a council estate who's parents can't afford to buy him a school uniform never mind golf clubs.
We need to find these kids for the future of the game.
Some clubs have tried but it's still viewed as an elitist sport in some circles.