A golf club has praised the community for stepping in to help after a fire destroyed essential machinery.

Golfers were filmed rushing to safety after a blaze broke out in a greenkeepers' shed at the Little Hay Golf Complex in Box Lane, Bovingdon on August 5.

The club has now confirmed it is fully operational again after the accidental fire, which was sparked by a mechanical fault in a grass cutting machine.

Matt Schofield from Little Hay Golf Complex said: “We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support. Thankfully, no one was injured during the fire, and our team worked tirelessly to minimise the disruption to our members and visitors." 

He said teamwork by members, club committees and neighbouring golf clubs to minimise disruption was a testament to the “strong bonds” in the golfing community.

The greenkeeping team at the Bovingdon golf club.The greenkeeping team at the Bovingdon golf club. (Image: Little Hay Golf Complex)

“In particular, we would like to extend our thanks to Ley Hill Golf Club in Chesham for loaning a greens and tees cutter and Denham Golf Club in Uxbridge for providing a fairway cutter. 

“Their generosity, alongside the continued support from our equipment suppliers, Olivers Landpower and Ernest Doe, ensured we were able to reopen quickly, and we are delighted to see golfers back enjoying our facilities.”

The club had previously said challenges in sourcing spare or rental equipment meant the blaze nearly forced it to close temporarily as the greens would have been “unplayable”.

Golfers rush to safety as smoke covers the greenskeeper's shed. Golfers rush to safety as smoke covers the greenskeeper's shed. (Image: Oliver Offredy)

It saw five fire engines called out to tackle the blaze in the large outbuilding, and firefighters worked until 8.30pm to extinguish it.

Fire engines refilled at a hydrant in Bovingdon High Street as it took almost two hours to extinguish the blaze. Fire engines refilled at a hydrant in Bovingdon High Street as it took almost two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Image: Audrey Stent) Oliver Offredy, who was among those at the club at the time, saw “dark smoke pouring” out of a building near the car park after someone raised the alarm.

“Even though it can’t have been ablaze for long, you could feel the heat and the strong smell of smoke,” he added.