The Muskeg Meadows Golf Course, a popular attraction for more than 30 years, needs several thousand dollars of repairs after vandals caused significant property damage earlier this month.

On the morning of Jan. 9, staff discovered numerous deep ruts carved into every fairway across the 33-acre course. The damage appears to have been caused by multiple riders operating snowmachines and ATVs. While the ground was frozen enough to prevent the deepest possible gouges, every fairway will now require either sod replacement or reseeding.

Kristy Woodbury, the board president and manager of the nonprofit club, expressed frustration over the recent trend of disrespect toward the course.

“It’s really unfortunate. We went 30 years without any incidents, and in this past year, we have had vandalism,” Woodbury said.

It’s estimated that repairs to the grounds could cost approximately $1,200 for grass seed and $3,000 in labor. This figure assumes the course’s artificial greens sustained only minimal damage.

“One of the greens was obviously damaged, but we don’t know exactly how much. We’re really hoping it won’t need to be replaced,” Woodbury said.

She noted that replacing just one artificial green would cost more than $50,000, which was the club’s biggest concern when the tracks were first discovered.

The incident follows a string of other issues from the past year. Last July, most of the windows at the driving range were smashed, costing $2,500 to replace. Additionally, the course was plagued by “excessive divots” last season that appeared to be caused by someone repeatedly beating a club into the ground.

The Wrangell Police Department has opened an investigation into the latest incident. In response, the facility has restricted its hours to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and fenced off the driving range.

Police plan to install cameras and increase patrols. Anyone found on the property after hours or operating an ATV will be stopped.

“In Alaska, vandalism is charged as criminal mischief, and we fully intend to press charges if this happens again and we have the evidence to do so,” Woodbury said.

The course relies heavily on volunteer hours. If repairs can be finished by mid-May, the course is expected to be in good condition for the summer season by June.

The organization plans to hold fundraisers and volunteer workdays this spring to help cover the costs and labor.