Thieves ravaged clubhouses and stole more than $15,000 from two Harford golf courses, police said Thursday.
The Wetlands Golf Course in Aberdeen and the Swan Creek Country Club in Havre de Grace were vandalized and burglarized between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, county police said.
“We were hit pretty hard; there?s no doubt about that,” said Sam Smedley, owner of the Wetlands, who estimated the theft and damagecould cost the course up to $15,000.
The ATM machine at the Wetlands also was broken into, and an undetermined amount of money was taken, said Lt. Jim Eyler, spokesman for the sheriff?s office.
The thieves disabled the security system and cut phone lines before prying doors off and stealing an unknown amount of money. Thursday tee times were pushed back to noon as a result.
“They wanted cash money and that?s what they got,” said Donald Baxter, Swan Creek?s golf professional.
The Churchville Golf complex, which includes a driving range and miniature course, also was vandalized.
Eyler believed all three incidents are related because they occurred in the same part of the county and around the same time.
“It?s a viable possibility due to the incident and due to some of the similarities,” he said.
But at the miniature course, no cash register is kept overnight, general manager Ken Ryzer said.
Weighted flags were thrown through pro shop windows and tables and chairs were flipped over, Ryzer said.
Because his complex is near Route 22, the visibility may have kept the suspects from doing too much damage, he said.
“We definitely count our blessings,” Ryzer said. “We were lucky.”
