Five young men are facing felony charges after a late-July break-in at Cranberry Hills Golf Course in Champion Township left the fourth hole green unplayable and seven golf carts smashed, flattened or missing pieces entirely. Police say the damage from the July 29 incident totals roughly $40,000, and course owner Steve Welch expects the fourth hole to stay out of commission for about a year.
Joshua Meese, Colton Sharpe, Colton Alford, Brady Bell and Camren Corrigan were each charged with fourth-degree felony vandalism in connection with the break-in, according to WKRC. Meese, Sharpe and Alford are all 18, while Corrigan is 19; Bell is also 18. Two juvenile suspects have pending charges that are expected to be filed soon, per Champion Township officer Larry Skaggs.
Carts Dragged From a Shed and Left Wrecked Across the Course
Police records reported by the Tribune Chronicle show suspects pulled seven golf carts out of a storage shed on July 29 and scattered them around the property. One ended up stuck near a pond, another was abandoned on a hill, and several more were left near hole No. 4 with flat tires, torn seats and missing fenders. Police said eight golf carts in all were damaged or destroyed during the incident.
The itemized cost of the destruction, per the same police records, breaks down to $26,102 in damage to the fourth hole green and $15,755 in repairs or replacements for the carts. Welch has said four of the carts were damaged beyond repair. He also told Champion Township police that Cranberry Hills had been targeted in three separate vandalism incidents in recent weeks, suggesting the July 29 break-in was not an isolated event.
Fourth Hole Green Could Stay Closed for a Year
Welch said the fourth hole green is expected to remain unplayable for about a year, a long recovery window for turf damage of that scale at the 48.5-acre, nine-hole course, which was originally built in 1926, according to course listings on GolfNow. Welch had announced plans to retire back in August 2022, and the course was listed for sale the following year for $1.5 million, per a report at the time from 21 WFMJ.
Felony Charges Tied to Ohio's Damage Threshold
The five adult defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearance on September 3. The fourth-degree felony vandalism charges stem from Ohio Revised Code Section 2909.05, which classifies physical damage to business property valued between $7,500 and $150,000 as a fourth-degree felony — a threshold the roughly $40,000 estimate clears. Under Ohio sentencing statutes, a conviction on that charge can carry 6 to 18 months in prison and fines up to $5,000, according to attorneys at Groth & Associates.
The break-in also lands amid broader local friction over golf cart use in Champion Township. Trustees voted in 2025 to prohibit golf carts on public township roads, a policy they reaffirmed during a meeting in July after residents raised concerns about unauthorized and underage drivers operating carts in neighborhoods, the Tribune Chronicle reported separately.
Vandalism involving unauthorized vehicles tearing through golf course turf isn't unique to Champion Township this year. In August, four-wheelers tore up the fairways on holes 1 and 4 at Sun Valley Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky, according to Hoodline's coverage of that incident, underscoring that turf and equipment damage from unauthorized vehicles remains a recurring headache for public courses. Juvenile proceedings tied to the Cranberry Hills case remain pending under separate, confidential filing procedures.
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