Two charged after golf course damaged

TWO Oamaru men face charges after a joyride that caused significant damage at the North Otago Golf Club over the weekend.

The men, aged 22 and 25, were arrested on Monday and charged with unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle and intentional damage, as a result of the incident, which is believed to have taken place on Friday night or early on Saturday.

A 4WD vehicle was driven over the club’s practice green next to the clubhouse, and then over several greens and fairways on the course itself, breaking flag sticks in the process.

The driver performed ‘‘burnouts’’ on some of the wet fairways, which left deep gouges in the ground.

In addition, a shelter at the club’s fifth tee was destroyed when the vehicle was driven into it, North Otago Golf Club secretary Julia Knight told the Otago Daily Times on Saturday.

At least one of the offenders was caught on CCTV, walking around the clubhouse and it appeared he attempted to tamper with a green fees box, in an effort to break into it, Mrs Knight said.

Club members became aware of the damage only when play started on Saturday morning.

Sergeant Blair Wilkinson, of Oamaru, said information that included an image of one of the alleged offenders had been widely circulated on social media.

That had assisted police in their inquiries.

The two men will appear in the Oamaru District Court on July 18.