Page 20 - GBC Magazine Winter ENG 2023

“Of course, with that amount of rain coming down the river, it overflowed the banks and flooded large portions of our course,” explained Burke. “Some of my turf crew have been on this property for 40 years and they had never seen this amount of water on the course. We had greens, tees, and fairways under water for days. The biggest issue was that in the aftermath of the flooding, the temperatures got very hot, and the standing water basically boiled our turf. The debris and silt covered the turf on several holes. We had eels damage the greens.”
Incredibly, only a few weeks after the hailstorm previously described, Ontario’s Sutton Creek Golf Club was hit with two back- to-back severe weather events on the evenings of Wednesday August 23rd and immediately again on Thursday August 24th, which produced about 12 inches of rain in 24 hours and a possible tornado.
An incredible 250 mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period, which caused massive flooding and destruction at River Oaks Golf Course, NS.
“The damage done to the golf course the second time was severe flooding as you can see from the photos,” explained Collingridge. “The club has good drainage however the issue is the flatness of Windsor Essex County and its poor ability to drain quickly. Surrounding farmer’s fields are draining onto the golf course but the creeks on property are too full to take on any more water.”
Following these two storms, Sutton Creek Golf Club was closed for another four full days (and thru an entire weekend). Due to the flooding, they had to re-schedule two full 144-person shotgun tournaments to September. They estimate that they have experienced at least $85,000 in lost revenues alone during this past storm plus the expenses they will incur during the extensive cleanup.
AT THE CROSSROADS
Today the Canadian golf industry stands at a crossroads, facing the unmistakable and ever-intensifying impact of climate change. This article touched on just a few recent extreme weather events, but there were many others that impacted NGCOA Canada members in all corners of the country. from the severe flooding in Quebec and the Maritimes this summer, to the draught experienced in Western Canada; as well as the fires in Manitoba to the relentless rainfall across Ontario with regions receiving 42 days of rain in July and August.
Yet, amid these challenges lies an opportunity for innovation and adaptation. The Canadian golf industry has shown resilience in the face of adversity, embracing sustainable practices, water conservation, and eco-friendly course designs. Despite the best that Mother Nature could throw at us, Canadians continue to rely on their local golf courses as a place of refuge during trying times and a safe place to enjoy exercise, competition and comradeship.
Golf Business Canada
REFERENCES
1. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/back-in-the-swing-of-things-p-e-i-golf-course-to-reopen-after-severe-fiona-damage-1.6382671#:~:text=The%20Stanhope%20Golf%20and%20
Country,an%20hour%20%E2%80%94%20destroying%20everything%20inside
2. https://www.earthnetworks.com/blog/severe-weather-safety-checklist-for-golf-courses/
3. https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/ten-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-a-wildfire 4. www.canada.ca/lightning
5. www.pga.com/story/how-to-stay-safe-in-lightning-on-the-golf-course
20 Golf Business Canada