A MIDLANDS golf club targeted by vandals and thieves has been forced to limit public access in a bid to curb the problem.
Dudley Golf Club said it had closed public footpaths "reluctantly" due to a recent spate of anti-social behaviour, which has become so bad the club has been forced to take action.
It came after a group of young people were filmed on one of the greens picking up flags, throwing them and using them to hit each other.
There have also been incidents of theft, underage drinking and drug-taking on the course, all of which is leaving the club, which dates back more than 120 years, out of pocket.
Course manager Stewart Marshall claimed the club has faced long-running issues.
"This has been happening for a while now," he said.
"We've had more than 50 flags stolen, and there have been other problems too.
"We find drug paraphernalia, there's underage drinking. It's caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage – maybe even over £1,000 at this point."
The club plays an important role in the community, but Marshall admitted it had no option but to take action in light of the recent incidents.
He fears the problems could put potential new members off joining the club.
"It's such a shame – golf is a rapidly growing sport and we're getting new members coming from all over the Midlands," he added.
"There are public footpaths through the course that we have to keep open, but we've had to do what we can."
The club revealed a number of "complaints" had been made about the closure of some footways, but insisted it was right to do so.
Addressing concerns on Facebook, staff wrote: "We must stress that the course is private property and the only public access should be along the rights of way which are marked by black posts with a yellow ring, or a yellow ring around a tree trunk."
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