The Richmond Hill Golf Club was struck with anti-Semitic vandalism over the weekend, as a swastika was gouged into the green at the 14th hole.

The incident is believed to have taken place late last Friday night and likely perpetrated by a group of teenagers seen in the vicinity, said Doug Young, director of the club.

Staff discovered the damage early on Saturday: a five-foot by five-foot swastika had been dug into the front of the 14th green, about an inch or two deep, he said. The vandals broke the flag stick in half and used it to dig the Nazi symbol.

Maintenance personnel also found human waste in the cup that appeared to have come from multiple people, he added.

“The maintenance staff did the best we could to clean it up,” said Young. They gave the hole a first cut and then drizzled sand over the top. The also moved the cup to the back left portion of the green.

“We informed golfers we had some vandalism and apologized for any offence,” Young said.

Club management has also been in touch with police about the incident.

B’nai Brith Canada called on police to investigate the incident as a hate-motivated offence.

The vandalism occurred a few days before the 80th anniversary of the notorious Christie Pits riots, in which the display of a Nazi swastika at a softball game sparked a six-hour riot.

“This latest incident is a stark reminder that 80 years later when many would want to celebrate a new and accepting era that in fact we still have much work to do on the road to building a tolerant, accepting society free of racism, hatred and anti-Semitism,” said B’nai Brith CEO Frank Dimant.

About one year ago, the club experienced another anti-Semitic event, Young said. At that time, a tee deck had a swastika scratched into the surface, but it was mowed over and was barely noticeable when golfers came to play.