A 40-strong rampaging herd of cattle has shut down a popular Clare golf course until further notice, writes Gordon Deegan.

The herd of Charolais and Limousin cattle broke into the grounds of Woodstock Golf Club outside Ennis early on Saturday morning and stampeded through the course, damaging 10 greens.

A club spokesperson yesterday said it was “total devastation” for staff, when they saw the damage for the first time on Saturday morning.

The spokesperson said: “For everyone connected to the club, it has been like as if someone died. There was a look of shock and horror on the members’ faces after they had seen what the cattle had done.”

He said that the course greenkeeper was out on the course at the 6th green at 6.30am on Saturday “when he saw one and then saw 40 animals coming at him”.

The closure of the course is expected to result in a loss of income for the golf club through the loss of green fees and also a loss of revenue at the adjoining Hotel Woodstock.

Castletroy's @cian_odonnell & Limerick's Justin Keogh on the 15th green at Woodstock in the Senior Cup #limerick pic.twitter.com/gAzP7tFEZe

— Castletroy Golf Club (@CastletroyGC) June 26, 2016

The club was yesterday awaiting assessment of the damage by representatives from the club’s insurance company.

This story first appeared in the Irish Examiner .