Top 100 Course Western Gailes Has Multiple Greens Vandalised

published 8 November 2019

Western Gailes in Ayrshire was targeted by vandals who damaged multiple greens

Top 100 Course Western Gailes Has Multiple Greens Vandalised

Western Gailes Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland has had a number of its greens targeted by vandals.

Shocking vandalism took place on four of the course's greens as well as the new chipping green.

"At some point between close of play Tuesday and opening up Wednesday holes were dug to varying degrees with what appears to have been a pitchfork on the 1st, 5th, 6th and 7th greens and at the new chipping area," Western Gailes Manager and Secretary Douglas Zuill told Golf Monthly.

"The greenstaff worked extremely hard to repair the damage and to minimise the impact to play."

Douglas also confirmed that a police investigation is currently ongoing.

The damage took place before a big Ayrshire Winter Golf Association (AGWA) fixture, leading to the vandalised greens being out of play and made into temporaries.

The Ayrshire Winter Golf Association wrote on Facebook: "This photograph was taken today at Western Gailes prior to the first match starting in the AWGA fixture . Vandals used what looked like a spade to damage 3 of the greens resulting in 3 temporary greens being in play."

https://www.facebook.com/Ayrshirewintergolfassociation/photos/a.314573008681174/1526973827441080/?type=3&theater

One user commented, "I played there today in the event and apart from the 1st green being out of play the greenkeepers had done an amazing job in getting the rest back in play, so much so that you could hardly see the damage."

Another user posted, "Why? All levels of wrong?" Whilst another simply put, "Ridiculous."

The course is one of Scotland's finest and ranks 49th in Golf Monthly's UK&I Top 100 Course rankings.

A traditional links, it plays between sea and railway with stunning vistas of the Firth of Clyde and Isle of Arran.

It's part of a stunning stretch of links golf along Scotland's west coast with the likes of Troon, Prestwick, Gailes Links and Turnberry all nearby.

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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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