Goodrich-In the past two years, the Goodrich Country Club on Hegel Road has been the victim of repeated vandalism.
Jim Naugler, general manager of the course and Atlas Township Fire Chief, has never been fortunate enough to catch any of the suspects–until now.
According to Naugler, on Aug, 30, five minors were on the course drinking alcohol, enjoying a small bonfire, and joyriding with two Country Club golf carts, when Genesee County Deputy Kyle Guest interrupted their party at approximately 1 a.m.
Naugler was given the tip from a resident on Fair Oaks Drive, a street adjacent the course. He said the resident claimed to see lights and heard noise, and knew it obviously wasn’t the club’s staff because of the late hour. Naugler then alerted Guest, who snuck up on the vandals, getting a confession from at least one.
In all, four flagsticks and cups on the greens were vandalized, two golf carts were damaged and many parts of the green itself were in rough shape as a result from the improper use of the carts. Much of the golf course’s landscaping was also affected by the incident.
The golf carts run by an key-ignition switch, but Naugler said one of the five minors involved was a past employee and made copies of the carts’ keys.
He said the course does have a security system, but it overlooks the club’s facilities, not the greens.
“We have had too much vandalism this year. We have make set an example out of them. We’re not going to just let them go,” said Naugler.
The five minors involved in the vandalism and underage drinking will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Naugler said the Goodrich Country Club Board of Directors is not taking the incident lightly.
The last act of vandalism at the course occurred in late June, 2003, when a truck driven across the course resulted in hundreds of dollars of damage to the green and many holes. The suspects were never caught in this or any other case.