Phil Rossman took some photographs of the defaced green at Smock Golf Course. Since then, the words have been covered with sand. Golf course officials said repairs to the green were necessary, the television station reported.
The swastika continued the disturbing trend of the symbol of hate that has been appearing in Indiana.
"I guess I was a bit shocked to see it in the middle of a golf course," Rossman told WXIN. "But not surprised to see it in society in general."
The swastika incident occurred the same weekend as a shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 people dead.
"It's not the physical damage that was done, it’s the psychological damage,” Rossman said. "Anybody that's willing to do such a thing directed at people who may be different than they are, it just bubbles up nothing more, nothing less really, than disgust.”
Ronetta Spalding, a spokeswoman for Indy Parks, issued a statement, WXIN reported.
"We work every day to ensure our customers feel comfortable in our parks and take pride in knowing our staff values the people we serve," the statement said. "We will not accept any action or activity that goes against welcoming people into our parks and will continue working closely with our park rangers and partners at IMPD (Indianapolis Metro Police Department) to ensure the safety and security of all of our guests."
The swastika and racial slur may have been misguided pranks, but Rossman believes they should be taken seriously, WXIN reported.
"There’s a cause-and-effect relationship to all this stuff," Rossman told the television station. "If we have people out there doing this, what’s the next step they go to?”
About the Author