Area golf courses hit various snags with storm damage

By Bob Sutton

Special to The Alamance News

Damage to a few golf courses in Alamance County created limited play following rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal, leaving one club closed to the public for the rest of the month.

Mill Creek Golf Club in Mebane reopened Monday for members only with limited play after it was closed for a week.

Meanwhile, The Valley Golf Course north of Burlington and Southwick Golf Course south of Graham had extensive flooding from the Haw River and The Challenge Golf Club in Graham was closed for five days. Quaker Creek Golf Course, north of Mebane, reported no issues other than soggy areas.

Rains from the July 6-7 storm were troublesome throughout the region. Rain totals varied up to 12 inches from the storm, followed by several more storms during the week.

Mill Creek was closed for a week because of storm damage. So there was no golf at the course during the weekend.

Now, the back nine is open for members, with the goal of having the entire course available for all golfers by August.

A long bridge on No. 2 that leads from the tee box to the fairway washed away and will need to be reconstructed.

“It’s nothing that can’t be repaired,” assistant pro Ben Holland said. “The biggest damage was that bridge.”

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Other reports from those who’ve seen the course indicate there’s extensive need for clean-up because of trees down around the course. That included trees falling on or around the No. 8 green.

With only half the course playable, Holland said the first priority was to the membership.

Reopening August 1 for the public is a target date.

“We’re optimistic,” Holland said.

• The Valley was closed for two days last week, then reopened for play on the front nine before the rest of the course was ready for play.

Even by the weekend, the par-4 sixth hole and par-5 12th hole were modified to be played as par-3 layouts because of the impact from the overflowed Haw River. No. 12 remained partially closed at the beginning of this week.

• Southwick Golf Course was closed July 7 because there was no power at the venue. Then for the next few days, only the front nine was open because of flooding.

Then by the end of the week, most of the course was open with the exception of the 14th and 15th holes, which are located along the Haw River.

• The Challenge closed for play last week from Monday through Friday, but general manager/director of golf Todd Smith said the course fared mostly well from the storm.

“We had some flooding and had a lot to clean up,” Smith said. “But we were very, very fortunate, much more fortunate than others. We expected worse.”

Located along the Haw River, any flooding at The Challenge usually takes place in non-essential areas, Smith said, and that was largely the case this time. He said bridges and cart paths were examined, with no problems with those.

Because The Challenge was planning an aeration project for the course last week, that factored into ceasing play for a few days, Smith said. The club also has been redoing sand traps, so without golfers on the course it allowed that project to be expedited.

“We took advantage of it, so it came at a good time for us,” Smith said.

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