ATV Vandals Filmed Causing 'Up To £100,000' Worth Of Damage At Top UK Course

Vandals on all-terrain vehicles have caused potentially £100,000 worth of damage to a top UK course after ripping up several greens and fairways.

Thorndon Park Golf Club, near Brentwood in Essex, saw six of its holes torn up late on Sunday after multiple people on quad bikes entered the Harry Colt design through a gap in the perimeter fence and spent almost half an hour causing carnage.

According to Essex Police, six greens and "more than half of the fairways" were affected, although - as of Wednesday, January 22 - Thorndon Park have said only half a dozen of its holes remain closed (holes 3-7 and 16).

A video shared on social media by London & UK Street News showed two ATVs speeding onto a green and tearing it up before they realised a person was filming them and they moved on to other parts of the golf club's land.

Further pictures shared by the same account and Thorndon Park Golf Club on X highlighted the severity of the damage, with deep ruts and tyre marks clearly visible all over what is regarded as the top course in Essex.

Speaking to the BBC, Thorndon Park's general manager Iain Evans said: "The initial thoughts were a little bit of anger and then just astonishment that someone can cause that much damage. Just mindless damage to what is effectively a natural environment is just awful.

"Maintaining the surface and caring for fine turf is an art. We employ greenkeepers and now they've got the unenviable task of trying to recover those areas, trying to make them fit for play.

"There has been vandalism on the golf course before with motorbikes but certainly not to this extent."

In response, The Golf Supply - a local company run by Ashley Mullin - said it was looking to raise £10,000 for the club to help with repairs. A GoFundMe page has been set up and has brought in more than £2,200 so far.

Mr Evans admitted that it was "too early" to assess exactly how much money would be required to see one of Golf Monthly's Next 100 Courses restored to its former glory, but Essex Police stated it would be "thousands of pounds" while Mullin suggested between £50,000-£100,000 of damage had been caused.

Essex Police has put out an appeal for information.