N.Y. course recovers quickly from activists' vandalism

Golf Course News, Sep 2002 by Overbeck, Andrew

JERICHO, N.Y. - In a communique issued July 31, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) took responsibility for vandalizing three greens at The Meadow Brook Club, the host of the Senior PGA Tour's Lightpath Long Island Classic, which was held the first weekend in August. The damage, however, did not disrupt the tournament.

The vandals struck sometime during the night of July 29, digging holes with shovels on the second, fourth and fifth greens. The green on the par-3, 195-yard fourth hole suffered the most damage with an 18-inch wide by one-- foot deep hole dug around the cup right in the center of the green.

"We found the damage at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning," said superintendent John Carlone. "We had holes two and five fixed and back into play that morning butwe had to close the fourth green." All 18 holes were ready to go for the tournament by Friday.

On the fourth green, Carlone's crew took sod from the back of the green and placed it overthe damaged section. They then patched the back of the green with sod from their on-site nursery.

As a result of the damage, the tournament's pro-am was shortened to a 17-hole event and the fourth hole was shortened for the competition.

"We reduced the size of the hole so they could hit shorter irons," said PGA Tour media official Dave Senko. "Instead of 195 yards it was 150yards. Otherwise, we proceeded as normal."

Carlone planned to nurture the turf following the tournament.

"Over the long-term I will grow these patches back in raising the height of cut and doing some light liquid fertilization applications to make sure they heal as quickly as possible," he said.

According to the ALF's communique the group targeted The Meadow Brook Club because one of its members has ties to a firm that conducts animal research. The vandals apparently entered the 270-acre property at one of the most remote areas, three-quarters of a mile from the clubhouse and one mile away from the maintenance facility.

The Nassau County Police Department's Special Investigations Unit is handling the case.