Cokato golf course offers $2K reward after vandals cut down 100-year-old tree

A golf course in central Minnesota is offering a $2,000 reward for information about who cut down a century-old tree on its grounds.

The Cokato Town and Country Club said the vandalism occurred overnight between Friday and Saturday.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office said neighbors reported noises around 2 a.m., but there were no witnesses to the act. One resident told WCCO she heard chainsaws.

The club said it has heard from golfers frustrated about the vandalism. The club's post about the tree on social media also prompted plenty of chatter.

"As it got traction online, a lot of people are talking about, '25 years ago, that tree was a problem for my golf game,' or, 'My husband that passed away used to rest under that,' or a shade tree," Adam Tabberson with the club said. "I didn't realize the whole surrounding communities knew about this specific tree at our course."

While the golf course is offering a reward for prosecution of the perpetrators, authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff's office.

The club estimates the tree's age at around 100 years old. Groundskeepers say the stump spans 29 inches.