Former Ryder Cup site vandalized by motorcycles

A famed English course that was the site of the 1981 Ryder Cup and other major tournaments was vandalized on Sunday by a group of motorcyclists.

Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, which is listed at No. 24 on Golfweek’s Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, was hit by vandals who used motorcycles to rip up swaths of the course.

No word yet on the extent of the damage. The famed club, just south of London, has two 18-hole tracks and originally opened in 1903.

Aside from hosting the 1981 Ryder Cup, the club has welcomed five versions of the European Open, the 2011 Senior Open and the 2018 British Masters.

Unfortunately, as you may have seen, Sunday at around 18.45, we were subjected to vandalism by motorcyclists on the course. This has been taken to the police who are investigating but if anyone has any info, please contact the club or @SurreyPolice. We thank you for your support pic.twitter.com/rRXumDsBRT

— Walton Heath Golf Club (@waltonheath_gc) April 27, 2020

This isn’t the first time that vandals have hit the club, including a time just before the Ryder Cup was played there. According to an article from UPI,  in 1981 Ryder Cup officials needed to assess damage to the 18th green on the course after it had been damaged. Intruders dug up parts of the putting surface and also drove an iron stake into the two-tiered green. The tournament was still played and the United States, captained by Dave Marr, won the event.