Golf association in Inuvik, N.W.T., asks ATV drivers to stay off course after fairway damaged

The president of the Inuvik Golf Association is asking drivers of off-road vehicles to avoid the golf course after tire tracks found on a fairway are expected to cost the club$5,000 to repair.

"There's lots of other trails you can use in the golf course area but please stay off the grass,"said Steve Krug, president of the association in Inuvik, N.W.T.

Krug said a member of the club messaged him about the vandalism late Monday night. It's believed to be from an ATV.

"I only get messages from those guys late at night, when something bad has happened," said Krug.

The damage is expected to costthe full amount the club put aside for maintenance costs.

The damage to the fairway of hole two means the area will be levelled and re-seeded.

"I'm hoping by the end of July we could see some potential progress," Krugsaid.

"But it won't be a fully playable area this season, unfortunately."

The six-hole club is funded through membership fees, private rentals and fundraising.

Volunteer-run

Chris Gruben has been golfing for years at the club. He said the news of the damaged grass wasn't surprising to him because he has seen other acts of vandalism at the course.

He hopes the community can respect that the course is mostly run by volunteers.

"It's a volunteer organization so the time and effort that people put into this should not be taken for granted. It's a place for community members to go and for the youth to hang out," said Gruben.

Gruben said the course was at one time rocks and gravel, but efforts from volunteers ensured grass was on all the fairways and greens.

There are no leads yet on who caused the damage and the club is asking anyone with information to come forward.