Bolton police end wedding campout near The International as LIV Golf tournament approaches

LANCASTER, Mass. — It was a wedding celebration that went from a “wonderful evening” to bitter disappointment after police broke up the gathering, according to the mother of the bride.

It happened as LIV Golf brings the latest installment of its new professional golf series to The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts, literally a pitching wedge from Jennifer Benoit’s property.

It all started with a call from the golf club to police.

“Upset” is how Benoit described her mood Monday morning, one day after two Bolton police officers came on Benoit’s property and told her guests to leave.

“I’m really upset this happened,” she said. “Police walked on our property, and did that to our wedding guests. My husband, David, is livid.”

The family’s land borders The International Golf Club, where the LIV Golf series will hold a tournament over Labor Day weekend.

The series has been marked by protests over LIV’s connection to its financial backer, the government of Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

That country’s human rights abuses are a troubling development for some residents, and Bolton is divided over the tournament. Some residents believe it’s good for local businesses. Others don’t want a Saudi-backed tournament in their town.

With the backdrop of protests at previous LIV tournaments, when The International noticed Sunday morning that several tents were near the golf course, the club called Bolton police to check it out.

“The International Golf Club called about trespassers. We tried to restore peace,” Bolton police chief Warren Nelson said.

Guests who attended the wedding celebration slept overnight in tents into Sunday morning. The tents were in a wooded area on Benoit’s property, in clear sight of the golf course.

Around 8 a.m. Sunday, police came onto Benoit’s property and told those in the tents that they had to leave.

“My son-in-law told me police were waking people up, telling people to leave. That they were being forceful, and police shook the tents to wake people up,” Jennifer Benoit said.

‘Simple misunderstanding’

That is how The International explained the course of events in a prepared statement.

“The International enjoys strong relationships with its neighbors and this seems to be a simple misunderstanding. Sunday morning, our staff spotted tents within one of our property’s wooded areas alongside the golf course.

“Having no knowledge who was occupying the tents, they followed proper protocols and contacted local authorities. Officers spoke with the individuals, determining that it was a group of campers from a nearby wedding the prior evening. The group decided to leave voluntarily, without being asked to.

“It’s unfortunate that the family and their guests feel their morning was disrupted, but safety and security is our priority. The International has reached out to the Benoit family and we hope all will be resolved very soon.”

Boundary confusion

The confusion, according to Nelson, is that it’s difficult to know the boundary between the golf club and Benoit’s land.

There are no surveyor markings to delineate the wooded border, and since Nelson said the club has been on alert about possible protestors, that is likely why the club called police.

Jennifer Benoit said she doesn’t buy it. She said she feels the club could have done a quick Google search to determine the boundary, avoiding the call to authorities.

Nelson chalked it up to The International being cautious because they didn’t know about the wedding celebration, adding that he apologized to the bride, Joanna Benoit, for Sunday’s incident.

Formal apology wanted

A written apology is what Jennifer Benoit wants from both Bolton police and The International.

She believes the club’s call to police is “definitely” connected to the club’s concern about the risks of protestors.

As for how she feels about the LIV series coming to Bolton — and Lancaster since a portion of club’s property falls within that town’s borders — Jennifer Benoit said it’s a “bad idea.”

“I don’t like the fact that the LIV tour is here,” Benoit said.

She explained two reasons for her objections, including Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses and the inconvenience of numerous no-parking signs in town put up by the LIV tournament.

Security measures

Standing outside the Bolton Police Department on Monday afternoon, Nelson touched on some security measures that will be in place during the tournament.

All visitors will park at the Bolton Fairgrounds lot in Lancaster, where everyone will be security screened before boarding shuttle buses to The International. Screening will include a metal detector, and no backpacks will be allowed at The International.

A designated area for protestors will be located near the spot where visitors board shuttle buses. State police will monitor that area.

“I’m confident we will have good control over security and traffic planning,” Nelson said.

Planning is something that Jennifer Benoit did to host the wedding celebration for her daughter, who was married two years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented an in-person celebration.

When the Benoit family finally hosted family and friends, Jennifer Benoit said police put an early end to it because of a phone call from The International.

“Bottom line, you don’t go onto someone else’s property,” she said.

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram