A side-by-side vehicle tore across the turn of a hole at Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links in New Franklin late Saturday night, leaving the course so torn up that the golf course is now offering a $5,000 reward for information that materially contributes to identifying and prosecuting the person responsible and leads to an arrest and conviction. The damage happened at around 11:39 p.m. on Oct. 24, and the course says it already has timestamped video evidence in the hands of law enforcement.
According to beaconjournal.com, the off-road vehicle damaged the turf by driving across the turn, and video that included a time stamp was taken of the incident and handed over to investigators. The course, located on Point Comfort Drive in New Franklin, has not released that footage publicly, but as reported by FOX 8 News, the course said in a Facebook post that it is not posting the video itself and that police believe they can enhance the images to identify the vehicle.
Course Calls Damage Deliberate, Pledges Legal Action
Per that same Facebook post, Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links described the incident as a deliberate and senseless destruction of private property, and shared pictures of the torn-up course. The club said it is pursuing all available criminal charges, as well as full restitution for the damages caused, per golfweek.usatoday.com.
Calls about the incident directed to New Franklin police dispatch were referred to the Summit County Sheriff's Department, the Beacon Journal report notes. No arrests or charges had been confirmed as of the reports.
Reward Terms Still a Bit Murky
Exactly what qualifies for the $5,000 payout depends on which account you read. Per whbc.com, the course is offering the reward for information leading to an arrest, while golfweek.usatoday.com describes it as a cash reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible. The course has asked the public to help identify those responsible by contacting the golf course directly or local law enforcement, and said tips will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law, according to the Facebook post cited by FOX 8 News.
For now, the course is leaning on the public and on its video evidence to track down whoever took a side-by-side across its greens in the middle of the night. Anyone with information is being encouraged to come forward as the investigation continues.
