Officials and first responders are focusing on helping the many people in greatest need as Hurricane Ian continues to wreak havoc along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Golf is a low priority for the people affected by Hurricane Ian, which reached Category 5 strength as it surged ashore.
It’s worth looking at how Florida courses might have been affected by the storm. Also, what could be in store for South Carolina’s second tropical storm as it continues north. The golf industry is huge in both places, with thousands of workers and hundreds of courses most likely already being affected by the storm.
It was impossible to get status updates for the courses nearest to Fort Myers, Florida, as of Thursday morning. Many residents in Southwest Florida remain without power due to communications problems. Superintendents and golf course operators are likely to be out in the field, or trying to reach their courses to assess damage. Reports of this will come in slow motion. Golfweek will keep this story updated as more information becomes available.
There are many golf courses in the Fort Myers area. Some of them have been hit with winds up to 140 mph, along with severe storm surges and flooding. All of the area’s golf courses are likely to have suffered some kind of damage, some possibly even catastrophic. According to past Florida hurricane experience, most courses have had trees cut down. Some courses may have lost hundreds of trees. Hurricanes with lesser strength in the past have been able to transform tree-lined fairways into chaotic messes of oak trees and snapped conifers.
Some courses may also be located underwater, particularly those that are near the Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, inland bays, rivers and creeks, and other waterways. This list covers almost all courses in Southwest Florida. Standing water was reported at courses as far north at The Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Pointe, just west of Orlando, not far from Disney World. There have also been reports of damage to bunkers at other courses. In past storms it wasn’t unusual for bunkers to be completely or partially eroded by sand.
Some of the most severely damaged courses may not reopen for weeks or months. While grass can grow as long as there is fresh water, it can also be affected by the large scale cleanup.
Golfweek’s Top maintains a list with the top courses in each state. This includes both private and public-access. Many courses on these lists have likely suffered some damage. Several courses are particularly concerning.
The public-access Gasparilla Inn & Club Boca Grande is located just a few minutes from the original landfall site. The private Coral Creek Club in Placida was also directly affected by the storm. Both courses are located near saltwater with Gasparilla Inn & Club situated on a barrier island. As relief officials and first responders are occupied with other pressing issues, emails and calls to the facility went unanswered. Gasparilla Inn & Club is ranked No. The Gasparilla Inn & Club ranks as No. 27 on Golfweek’s Best List of Public-Access Courses in Florida. Coral Creek Club is at No. 14 on Golfweek’s Best List of Private Courses.
As it moved eastward from its landfall, Hurricane Ian would have had an impact on many other golf courses as it traveled through Central Florida towards an exit near Titusville and Merritt Island. It will also affect NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, which is approximately 50 miles east of Orlando. Calusa Pines (No. 2 private courses in Florida) in Naples; Mountain Lake (2. 3) in Lake Wales; Naples National 7) in Naples; Naples National (No. 10) in Bradenton; Concession (tied for No.
For courses located along the path of the storm, which are likely to have suffered large or minor impacts, this list is longer. This includes the three courses at Streamsong, ranked No. 2 Red, No. 3 Black and No. 4 Blue) in Bowling Green; Bay Hill Club & Lodge, (No. 5) in Orlando; Hammock Beach’s two courses (No. 11 Ocean and No. 12 Conservatory) in Palm Coast, Hammock Bay (No. 17) in Naples; two Orange County National courses (No. 20 Panther Lake and No. 24 Crooked Cat), in Winter Garden; Southern Dunes, (No. 26) in Haines City; Southern Dunes (No. 30 Watson Course) in Kissimmee.
Many of these, and others, have posted closures of varying durations on their websites or social media. Streamsong, Florida’s most popular golf resort, is an example of how even inland course that are not on the path of the storm can be affected. While the resort hosted play Tuesday morning while crews prepared the courses, it posted on its website that all three courses would be closed until Sunday. This is a resort with wide-open layouts and few trees to have fallen down. Storm surge and hurricanes can also cause closures miles away from the coasts.
Craig Falanga (Streamsong’s director for sales and marketing) said that the main concern was about our location near the Peace River. “Would we have flooding?” “But we were very fortunate and the damage was minimal, just cosmetic.” … We will have everything cleaned up and reopen Monday.
Streamsong is home to three of the best courses in the country, including The Blue (pictured). Although it sustained light damage from Hurricane Ian, it was able to avoid severe flooding. It will reopen on Monday. (Courtesy Streamsong Resort/Laurence Lambrecht).
Before you travel to Southwest Florida or Central Florida, make sure to check with the courses.
TPC Sawgrass’ two ranked courses (No. 1 Players Stadium, and No. 18 Dye’s Valley), and the private Pablo Creek (No. 17) in Jacksonville. These are only a few of the many compelling layouts available in this region.
The Atlantic Ocean storm moved into South Carolina late Thursday morning. It is expected to make another landfall Friday mid-day. The cone covers courses from Hilton Head, with its many layouts north to Charleston, a region that also includes Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s highly rated Ocean Course. It almost reaches Myrtle Beach. Golfweek will keep you updated with new reports as they become available.
By: Jason Lusk
Title: Hurricane Ian damages numerous Florida courses, with a second landfall projected for South Carolina
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/09/29/hurricane-ian-damage-florida-golf-courses-south-carolina/
Published Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:55:16 +0000
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