More than 10,000 golf balls and specialist equipment have been stolen from a golf club after it was targeted overnight.

Thieves broke into Kingsnorth Golf Club in Ashford on Tuesday, taking the balls which are worth around £7,000, a wheelbarrow and a picker used to collect the balls from around the course.

Mark Chilcott who has owned the club for nearly 10 years, spent thousands doing up the course and the driving range, which opened in the summer to the public for the first time in four years.

The 56-year-old pro-golfer said he has had to install more surveillance and intruder detection devices in the last few days after hearing the devastating news.

“I have invested about £206,000 this year to get new equipment for the club so it could be open to the public again,” explained Mr Chilcott.

“I bought 20,000 brand new balls and now just over 10,000 have been stolen, that's about £7,000 worth.”

It is understood the thieves broke through a fence to access the club in Ashford Road and collect the equipment.

Mr Chilcott added: “Whoever it was knew what they were doing.

“They must have come off Kingsnorth Road in a 4X4 because there are tyre tracks all the way around the side of the fields.

“They got boards and built a bridge over a little ditch, used two of my wheelbarrows, throwing one in the hedge and taking the new one.

“They went into my compound and my infrared lights haven't picked them up so they must have known their way around.

“To have picked up that many balls it must have taken them hours.”

Walking through the woods, Mr Chilcott’s staff found the fences broken and a trail of golf balls, which seemed to have bounced out of their truck.

“It's typical this has happened since I opened the club back up to the public.

“There is always a huge demand for balls because they are like our ammunition, you have to have as much as you can.

“And in the last 48 hours, I have lost half my stock.”

CCTV has been handed to the police with the hope of identifying the culprits and Mr Chilcott is warning people to be vigilant over Christmas.

He added: “Ashford is only a small place but these golf balls are made specifically for driving ranges so they have got ‘Callaway’ and ‘Practice’ written on them so everyone knows they are practice tailor-made golf balls.

“The average person will think it is just a cheap golf ball but for me, they are not because now I will have to replenish them.

“Each ball used to cost 22p each, they now cost me 64p which makes a huge difference.”

The break-in has been reported to police who have confirmed they are investigating.

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: “A large quantity of golf balls was stolen from a building at a driving range in Ashford Road.

“Criminal damage was also caused to a fence by the offenders, in order to enter the location.

“No arrests have been made and anyone with information should contact Kent Police by calling 01843 222289 and quoting reference 46/223930/23.”