Most Nebraskans have felt the effects of the recent flooding. For some, that meant the loss of home and property, and in some cases, life. Many were displaced and had to evacuate their homes, and with nearly every highway in sight closed, at times, there was nowhere to go. Among those in the path of the unrelenting water, were several golf courses that saw their fairways and greens swallowed up by several feet of water and ice. We took a look at some of the courses affected, and talked to those trying to clean up and recover for their community of golfers.
Just as it looked like Nebraska would pull out of one of the snowiest winters in a long time, the devastation of flash flooding put a hold on the golf season in many places in Nebraska. The temperatures rose and so did the rivers. Massive amounts of ice blocked waterways and several rivers spilled over their banks. The reports of flooded golf courses began pouring in, and within a couple days, the list was more than a dozen long.
The Omaha World-Herald's Stu Pospisil tracked the reports and his list stretched from Niobrara, just south of the South Dakota border, all the way to Knolls Golf Course in Omaha.
Some of the most shocking images came from Quail Run Golf Course in Columbus. The golf course sits on the southeast side of the city, with the Loup River bordering to the south, just before it links up with the Platte River. A little more than half the golf course sits on the south side, near the river. The rest is on the other side of a dyke that separates the two sections. However, the water rose so far and high, that it reached into the first fairway, which is the furthest point from the river on the golf course. The south side of the course held more than water. A glacier of ice rolled in with the water and was deposited on the course, covering nearly everything on that side. The ice was piled 12 feet.
(Quail Run Photos Courtesy of Brady Vancura)
At its peak, the flooding affected every hole on the course." Quail Run General Manager Doug Dunbar said. "The north side will recover rather quickly but the damage on the south side of the dike is catastrophic."
Dunbar said the ice has shrunk to about six feet in thickness, as of last weekend. It covered holes No. 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 at one point. He said he's never seen anything like this.
The course was completely underwater in a matter of 36 hours, which was replaced with the ice jam subsidence, as the river changed course for several days."
It is basically just a waiting game for Dunbar and the staff at Quail Run, as most of the water has subsided, but the six feet of ice still covers eight holes. There's not much they can do, even to assess the damage, until the ice is gone. Although, Dunbar said the course's irrigation pond is full of silt and sand and is 100% contaminated.
Oakland Golf Club is another course that caught the worst of the flooding, and it was almost exactly nine months since the last catastrophic flood there. In June of 2018, several inches of rain in a short period of time and flooded nearly every hole on the course. The water had nowhere to go, and sat on the golf course for a few days, essentially suffocating the healthy turf underneath. The damage was disastrous, and at a tough time for the club and its members.
The 2018 flood hit at a devastating time as far as the golf season was concerned," General Manager Nick Onken said. "The loss of daily play, member rounds, leagues, and outings had a crippling effect on our revenue. The amount of turf that needed re-seeding presented us with a major financial burden, as well as affecting play for the fall. Luckily, our membership stepped up and the seed was covered by donations. By the end of the 2018 season the course was really starting to come around nicely and little effects were observed from the flood."
Then, less than nine months later, another once-in-a-lifetime flood hit the course. The course again was almost completely underwater.
The 2019 flood has presented us with some completely different issues," Onken said. "While the turf is dormant for the most part, the flood left behind unbelievable amounts of silt and debris. At this time, we are waiting for mother nature to help us dry and give us an opportunity to evaluate our turf conditions. Hopefully the loss of revenue will not strike again, but time will tell."
Onken said the flooding took over the course much like it did in 2018, covering it in about 48 hours. However, he said there was "substantially" more water on the course with this most recent flooding, and it also brought in significant amount of silt and debris.
It was one of those experiences thinking it could never get worse than it did in 2018, until it actually happened right in front of our eyes," Onken said. "Besides some greens and tee boxes that sit with a little bit of elevation, the entire course was underwater. No. 1 and No. 9 fairways, for example, in places had over eight feet of water on them. Our maintenance sheds next to No. 18 green had over three feet of water in them"
The calls and messages from around the state have been unbelievable," Onken said. "The volunteers we have had locally have been amazing. I can't describe how much work has gone into what we have done so far and how much work we have left to do, but I know for sure we would not be where we are without the volunteers we have had from members and local supporters. The other day I looked out the window from our lounge and noticed some people out raking corn stalks up into piles and we had not even scheduled any help."
For a golf course and community that has seen so much devastation in less than a year, they aren't ready to quit. Instead, they are pulling together and pushing through. They know it could be much worse than cleaning up a golf course.
I know we have come a long way since last year's flood, and this flood has been so devastating for our course and community, but it is easy to feel fortunate when you look around and see what others are having to deal with," Onken said. "I think counting our blessings is an understatement. It will take us some time to be back to where we want to be, but I have no doubt with the help we've been shown so far, it will get done. These people are amazing and it makes you proud to be a part of something so special."
With that hard work and support, hopefully Oakland Golf Club will be back up and running soon. You can give the golf shop a call at (402) 685-5339 to check in on the progress or offer your support.
It's been a tough winter/spring for Nebraskans, but with any luck, Mother Nature will give us a break and golfers all across the state will be able to get back on their courses soon.