LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Employees at Elkview Country Club in northern Lackawanna County showed up to the golf course over the weekend to find tire tracks from a vehicle all over the property, tearing up parts of the course.
Bill Strong is the security officer at the country club and was shocked to see the vandalism.
"The damage is very, very significant, and 14 of our 18 greens are badly damaged, as well as are the approaches to those greens and the fairways," Strong said.
The club's security video showed someone driving a side-by-side ATV around in the early morning hours on Saturday morning.
Employees say replacing or fixing grass on a golf course isn't as easy as throwing down some grass seed.
"Green material is very fragile, and I'm sure we're going to have a major bill here as far as getting it fixed," Strong said.
"It's all got to be cut out, most of the damage, and we have to tear apart one of our nursery greens to replace it all, and everything's got to be put in at perfect level. So, it's a lot of very meticulous work," said Ed Coleman, an employee at Elkview.
Workers say knowing someone did this is frustrating and will be very costly, adding that repairs will have to wait until the spring.
"Once these covers come off in the spring, depending on the extent and how deep these ruts are, we may still have issues with holes being closed and maybe a delay to the opening in the spring. There's just no way of knowing at this point in time. There's just so much to assess right now that still has to be checked," Strong said.
Employees believe the person who vandalized the course lives nearby.
The country club is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
If you recognize the ATV or know who did it, you can call Greenfield Township Police.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.