The Ohio State University Golf Club continues to recover from the rain and high winds that swept through Columbus Aug. 11, toppling 47 trees on the scarlet and gray courses.
The courses, closed since Aug. 11, are expected to reopen Aug. 20, though the use of riding carts may be restricted, according to club pro Brian Kelly, who said course cleanup continues.
“We got hit pretty good,” Kelly said. “Whatever it was, a tornado or high winds, we lost 47 trees. A couple were uprooted because of all the rain.”
Kelly estimated that between 7 and 10 inches of rain fell on the course over the past week.
It has been all hands on deck to get the courses back into
playable condition, Kelly said, adding that bunkers took a beating because of the rain, with sand sliding off the edges and sediment collecting in the flat areas.
The club will rely on insurance to offset the lost revenue due to the course being closed and golf shop and restaurant seeing fewer customers.
As for how course strategy might be impacted with fewer trees to contend with, Kelly said most of the damage was aesthetic.
“I’m sure a couple more little angles opened up, but some of the trees that people joke about hoping the wind would take down are still standing,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State golf courses set to reopen after storms toppled 47 trees
