In the quiet early hours of October 19, 2025, The Club at Venetian Bay in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, was waiting for the sunrise. In a few hours, Niños de México, a charity event, was likely to take place. But as the sun brought its light on the stretched fairways, the staff were stunned to see a destruction never seen before. What looked like a few tire marks turned out to be one of the most expensive acts of golf course vandalism Volusia County has ever seen

According to investigators, a 17-year-old student from Atlantic High School was behind the menace. He drove his truck on the second green of the course, spun doughnuts across the putting surface, and tore up roughly 7,000 square feet of turf. The damage, once estimated, will cost comfortably around $126,000. Although some other reports also point to a higher number, close to $161,000.

A costly affair for the Club, the damage was so extensive that crews had to pack the green with sand to keep the hole temporarily functional. As per reports, full restoration is not even possible until March or April ’26. The weather conditions will then be warm enough to replace the entire green with new sod.

The extent of such vandalism might prompt one to consider the reasons. But when the officers questioned, his reply shocked everyone. The teen was bored. At 2:30 in the morning, the teenager had “nothing else to do.” So he decided to take his truck and cause six-figure damage to the course. Along with him, there was a friend who recorded the entire incident on his phone as a souvenir. Unfortunately, that’s how the real break in the case came.

According to Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, later the teens bragged about the incident to their friends. Those conversations trickled back to the authorities through social media and community murmurs. With the help of other witnesses, the police reached out to the 17-year-old and his friend, but to save themselves, they quickly deleted the footage. Eventually, the Digital Forensics Unit extracted data from their phone to recover the evidence. Such ‘saving face’ will likely lead to tampering-with-evidence charges against the kids. The teen has now been charged with felony criminal mischief, which is a second-degree felony.

“It’s definitely been extremely stressful the last few weeks,” Benjamin Herring, the course’s general manager, told WESH 2 News after the arrest. “It’s just nice that it’s finally concluded now and we can rebuild and move on.” The course is known for the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Golf Championship. It is also recognized as the Parade of Homes’ “Best Golf Course Community.”

But while this incident feels dramatic in its own, locals say it wasn’t entirely isolated. Residents in nearby Port Orange have reported recurring problems with teenagers. They often tear up grassy areas along Central Park Boulevard using their trucks. This points to a pattern of questionable teen behavior, not just in this area, but throughout the US.

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A growing pattern of golf course vandalism

There is a troubling nationwide pattern of teen vandalism in the past few years. Just early this July, Skenandoa Golf Club in New York woke up to a near-identical scene. Photos posted on Facebook by owner Michael Intartaglia showed that he course has been ripped across the 9th fairway. Muddy tire tracks appeared throughout, damaging even the bunkers and the 8th green. “I’m literally sick to my stomach,” he wrote, with apparent helplessness.

This wasn’t the only incident in New York. In 2023, Valley View Golf Course reported teenagers riding dirt bikes and ATVs across greens and sand traps. Meanwhile, officials of Barker Brook Golf Club found an authorized vehicle abandoned in a pond.

These are the cases that have arisen over the years, especially after the pandemic. Most offenders are between 16 and 19 years, and their motivation for causing such damage is the same. They’re usually bored and are looking for some cheap thrills. It’s just that those ‘thrills’ end up causing $13,000 to $37,000 in damages in most cases.

While increasing security could help avoid such damages, a broader reflection is needed. Parents, teachers, and peers should probe these teens. What might seem like a few minutes of fun takes a lot of emotional and financial toll on the course operators.