One of Scotland’s most famed links golf courses was transformed into something resembling a movie set on Monday when maintenance crews at Royal Troon Golf Club came across several unexploded military ordnance devices on the property’s Portland Course, according to The Herald.
The Portland Course is one of two 18-hole layouts at Royal Troon. The Old Course at Royal Troon is on the Open Championship rota and in August, it hosted the AIG Women’s Open for the first time won by Sophia Popov.
Police were called to the course around noon on Monday. A Royal Navy bomb disposal team, The Explosives Ordance Division (EOD), were called to remove the items.
Officials said a controlled explosion will be carried out in order to dispose of the unexploded bombs.
A number of unexploded military ordnance devices were discovered on the Portland Course, which was undergoing maintenance at Royal Troon Golf Course https://t.co/aITd1w83hH
— The Golf Business (@thegolfbusiness) October 5, 2020
“Around 12.10 pm on Monday, October 5 police were called after a number of unexploded military ordnance devices were discovered on the Portland Course which was undergoing maintenance at Royal Troon Golf Course, Troon,” a Scotland Police spokesperson said. “The Explosives Ordnance Division of the Royal Navy is at the scene and will safely remove the items and carry out a controlled explosion this afternoon at a safe location away from the golf course.
“Members of the public in the vicinity may hear the controlled explosion take place but there is no wider risk to the public.”
Never one to miss out on an opportunity, Phil Mickelson chimed in on Twitter when the news hit of the unexploded bombs at the course where he came up short in a duel for the ages against Henrik Stenson at the 2016 Open.
Sorry about that. I left them in 2016 hoping Stenson would step on one. Only way I was going to beat him. He never did and I forgot to pick them up. My bad
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) October 5, 2020
“Sorry about that,” Mickelson wrote. “I left them in 2016 hoping Stenson would step on one. Only way I was going to beat him. He never did and I forgot to pick them up. My bad.”
