Quick-thinking cops scored a hole-in-one after commandeering a golf buggy to catch troublemakers.

The officers were involved in the madcap pursuit, reminiscent of the film Police Academy, after being called to Addington Court Golf Club in Featherbed Lane.

Police received reports on Saturday, July 25 of a group of three young men seen hitting golf balls into the car park just before 8pm.

On arrival police saw the suspects making a run for it over the golf course by the 10th hole.

The bright boys in blue, not wanting to lose their men, jumped into a nearby golf buggy and gave chase.

Testing their driving skills to the limit, the officers were forced to go off-road, ploughing through a stream and careering through a bunker in their dogged pursuit of the suspects.

The youths scaled a tall fence into Lodge Lane, thinking they had made their escape.

They then ran along Lodge Lane swearing at the officers, who at one point were driving parallel with them while still on the golf course.

Police then screeched to a halt by a hole in the fence and crawled through.

The traffic was halted in Lodge Lane as police sprinted across the road detaining the suspects in Headley Drive.

When the suspects were searched one was discovered with a four inch Stanley blade in his pocket and arrested for possession of a bladed article.

He was then handcuffed, strapped into the buggy and driven through Croydon back to the police station.

A spokesman for Addington Court Golf Club said: “We had some kids come on to the course after they cut a hole in the back fence by the driving range.

“They were seen scooping up balls from the range and in the past they have hit them back down the range and into the car park.

“We called the police who arrived within minutes and had a report that the same kids were seen further down the course.

“The police asked to use one of the buggies to get down there and luckily they were able to apprehend them very quickly afterwards.

“It’s the second time that we have managed to catch someone causing trouble on the course because nine times out of 10 they just manage to disappear back on to the estate.”

According to the spokesman golf buggies are only able to travel at three miles an hour as they are restricted for the use of the golfers.

• A 17-year-old was charged with possession of a pointed or bladed object on July 25, and bailed to attend Croydon Youth Court on September 11.