10 Wasatch Front Golf Courses Targeted in Recent String Of Burglaries
May 20, 2019, 10:39 PM
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — They literally came in like thieves in the night — two masked burglars seen in surveillance video casing the clubhouse at Glenmoor Golf Course before disconnecting the security camera.
“They tried to get into the front door right here, but it’s safety glass, so they weren’t able to—which caused damage, we had to get it replaced,” said head golf pro Darci Olsen. “Then they checked through all the windows and they could see the wall-mounted safe, so they just shattered this I think maybe with a crowbar or some sort of device.”
The break-in on May 16 left extensive damage to the wall surrounding the safe and workers were purely exasperated.
“It’s just frustrating when you show up and that’s what you find and it’s scary, too!” Olsen said.
What happened at Glenmoor is now believed to be one of at least 10 recent, similar break-ins targeting golf courses from Layton to Spanish Fork.
The spree appears to have started at Lakeside Golf Course in West Bountiful sometime in mid-April, then Davis Park Golf Course in Fruit Heights on April 21; Bonneville in Salt Lake City and South Mountain in Draper followed on April 28.
Alpine Country Club in Highland, Fox Hollow Golf Course in American Fork and The Oaks at Spanish Fork were hit the weekend of May 14.
Bountiful Ridge and Sun Hills in Layton fell victim early the morning of May 19.
The unlikely places hit in a string of recent break-ins and burglaries, @KSL5TV at 10p #KSLTV #Utah pic.twitter.com/QPAHYcm1WG
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) May 21, 2019
In many of the cases, safes were either removed or damaged in order for the thieves to reach the contents inside.
“I’m hoping somebody can recognize maybe the way they walk or stand or maybe what they’re wearing and give us a tip,” said Kelsey Chugg, associate director of Salt Lake City Golf. “It’s just been on our minds every day—we’re all worried!”
Chugg started paying attention after the break-in at city-operated Bonneville Golf Course, in which the burglars smashed a pro shop window and stole a safe, apparently using a putter to prop the safe up during the heist.
“The Utah section PGA has sent out several notices to their membership just letting everyone know to be vigilant, to be aware, to be safe,” Chugg said.
South Jordan Police Lt. Matt Pennington said that department was in communication with multiple other agencies about the string of burglaries.
It was possible, Pennington said, that the spree could extend beyond the state of Utah, potentially into Colorado.
Anybody with information about the crimes is asked to call police, Chugg said.
“We would love to have these people caught,” “Golf courses are beautiful places (where) people come to enjoy themselves. We’re not out to hurt anybody. I don’t know why people are coming after us.”
