A prank, a vendetta, an angry message — we don’t really know what the person behind the weekend’s incident at Duncan Park was thinking.

But we do know the end result — trouble.

The three greens at Duncan Park Golf Course that were sprayed with some type of weed killer are more than just a playground for golfers.

That grass is a moneymaker for the City of Natchez.

The recreation department is one of only a handful of city departments that creates revenue.

Golf course fees are a major source of that revenue — with $200,000 worth of collections projected for this fiscal year, or $4,000 a week.

But the weekend’s spray job is jeopardizing that figure.

It’s too early to know how the grass will fare in the long run, but the golf course superintendent has two plans of action if the damage is bad.

He’ll either have to let grass re-grow over damaged areas or he’ll have to dig it all up and replant it.

Grass re-grows for free, but it’ll likely be October before the greens are up to golf par. Many local golfers paying to play at Duncan Park now might find elsewhere to putt if three holes are surrounded by dead grass and dirt.

Re-planting will cost an estimated $6,000 at a time when the city’s budget is squeezed, crunched and twisted already.

The guilty party in this case of vandalism has crossed the line. He or she hasn’t only hurt the golf course and its users; he’s hurt the taxpayer.

Anyone who has information about the person responsible should contact the Natchez Police.