Vandals tear up golf course

Cokato Town and Country Club estimates as much as $15,000 in damage

By Kristen Miller
Staff Writer

Vandals went on a joy ride through the greens of Cokato Town and Country Club early Tuesday morning damaging a golf cart, sprinklers, and the greens.

Course superintendent Chris Risberg believes the incident occurred around 3 a.m. July 24. That’s when the sprinkler system goes on, and two sprinkler heads were broken off, Risberg said.

The vandals tore off the roof of a golf cart to remove it from the steel cable locking system adjacent to the country club.

They hot-wired the cart and drove it around the course damaging the cart, the greens, signs, and benches, according to Risberg.

Risberg also found damage to the electronic sprinkler control system, which the vandals appeared to have run into with the golf cart.

During the day, around 4:30 p.m., it was reported that kids were playing around on Hole 5, adjacent to Brooks Lake. It was later determined that they filled the putting cup with sand and deposited what appeared to be human feces on the putting surface, according to Risberg.

At night, the vandals disconnected the hose from the sprinkler and placed the hose in the green side bunker. Risberg found it washed out that morning.

The estimated damage done to the course and equipment is estimated to be $10,000 to $15,000. The cost of the golf cart, alone, is $6,000, Risberg said.

If anyone has any information regarding the golf course vandals, call the club at (320) 286-2007. There may be a possible reward.