Western Morning News (Saturday)
PLAYING POTHOLE GOLF TO MAKE A POINT
IF you thought potholes in the Westcountry were bad, spare a thought for those living in the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury where a teenager thinks the local roads are so below par he decided to make a point – by using potholes to make a crazy golf course.
Ben Thornbury, 18, swung into action after reading about locals’ frustrations on Facebook, mocking up a sign and opening the fun ‘course’ in the middle of the town.
He says more than 20 residents turned up to have a go – and he hopes it will force the authorities to take action. Ben said: “People were playing crazy golf in the middle of the high street while all the cars were coming past. “It’s just been such a rewarding feeling and people have been messaging me saying, ‘You’ve done it again for the community’.”
Ben, from Malmesbury, enjoys spending his free time volunteering for projects in his local area, taking on tasks such as cleaning the streets and trimming overgrown hedges. So when he realised how much the potholes in the town were affecting residents, he decided to turn his hand to protesting. Using supplies he already had from his volunteering work, he created a sign reading “High Street Crazy Potholes Golf Now Open” and set up the course using mini traffic cones.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for transport at Wiltshire Council, said: “There has been an increase in the number of potholes across the country, not just in Wiltshire. The combination of a long, dry summer followed by periods of very wet and then freezing conditions has seen road surfaces deteriorate.”