11.43am 24th January 2025 - <a href="https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/greenkeeping/">Greenkeeping & Agronomy</a> <br>Staff and members at Thorndon Park Golf Club in Essex have been left devastated after vandals on quad bikes caused extensive damage to greens and fairways of the renowned Harry Colt designed course.<br>The act of wanton vandalism took place in broad daylight at around 4.30pm on Sunday, according to eyewitness reports. <br>Club general manager Iain Evans said: “We are all obviously devastated – a lot of hard work goes into preparing the golf course for members to enjoy. That someone can cause that much damage to what is effectively a natural environment is just awful.<br /><br />“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.”<br>Essex Police are investigating reports of criminal damage after two quad bikes were filmed causing extensive damage to six greens and more than half of the course’s 18 fairways.<br> Evans said that a group of members had helped clear some of the debris, but it was too early to say how much money it would cost to repair the damage and how long it would take to repair.<br>The course remains partially open, but holes three to seven, and 16, out of action until the damage can be repaired. <br>The Onyria Group has taken on the management and operations of Château Des Vigiers, a hotel and leisure venue in southern France. <br>Curracloe Links has entered into a strategic partnership with 54 that will see the firm lead operations and agronomy services at Ireland’s newest links venue.<br>The R&A has announced that The 155th Open will be played at St Andrews from 11-18 July 2027.<br><a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/greenkeeping/thorndon-park-course-suffers-extensive-damage-following-quad-bike-raid/" rel="noopener" data-via="eGolfBusiness" data-hashtags="GolfBusinessNews">Share on Twitter</a> <br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/greenkeeping/thorndon-park-course-suffers-extensive-damage-following-quad-bike-raid/&title=Thorndon+Park+course+suffers+extensive+damage+following+quad+bike+raid&source=GolfBusinessNews.com" rel="noopener">Share on LinkedIn</a><br>GolfBusinessNews.com (GBN) is for the many thousands of people who work in the golf business all around the world.<br>We cover the full range of topics both on and off the course. We aim to supply essential information both quickly and accurately in a format which is easy to use. We are independent of all special interest groups.<br><a style="font-weight: 600;" href="https://eepurl.com/bpOC9">Click here to sign up</a> for our free twice weekly golf industry news summary<br>View the <a class="gbn-latest-email" href="https://golfbusinessnews.com/weekly-emails/greetings-from-the-shows/">latest newsletter</a> here<br>5/7 High Street<br>Dorchester-on-Thames<br>Oxfordshire OX10 7HH<br>United Kingdom<br><a href="mailto:publisher@golfbusinessnews.com">publisher@golfbusinessnews.com</a><br>© 1999-2025 <a href="https://golfbusinessnews.com">e.GolfBusiness.com Limited</a> | All Rights Reserved. | <a href="/privacy-policy/">GBN Privacy Policy</a> <br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPNkdSZE9KbGR3NGwwVF9LUXgyUFotMWNhTnVEc2Flc0dCdVplWDh1dUp2TzJWVUlpaURVWGxnX0x3NHAySmNXWHBVWW1HVXl2amlsby1hUm1uRWlUcExyVUhRdVhac280RExlVy1xOTdaMkd5cW5hdXd1VU5wbm1GeGZQZ29NUTFFQzlCOWg0T2dxeUROcFlINThoZzhKNncxdVVkbVZfSjEwZjVrenUxbjlzRl9obTlWb3c?oc=5">source</a>
