| Images: Dave Sansom |
September 26, 2024 was a day away from the coast that Augusta, Georgia, will not soon forget. Hurricane Helene raged on, leaving in its wake a battered and devastated community, parts of which are still recovering today. The Bobby Jones Links-managed Forest Hills Golf Course suffered its own unique misfortune.The classic Donald Ross-designed course, owned by Augusta University and where Bobby Jones once won the Southeast Amateur the same year he won the Grand Slam, was closed in June 2024 for a complete renovation of the greens, generating much excitement for its planned October 1 reopening. A few days earlier the hurricane hit. At least 1,500 trees were down and debris was scattered across the site. Course staff, many of whom also had their homes damaged, worked overtime on the clean-up, two tree companies were called in and the course was reopened within six weeks. With a few small projects left, Forest Hills is thriving again.
“The entire team worked together to get the job done,” said Joshua Deal, Vice President of Operations at Bobby Jones Links and President of the Georgia Section PGA of America. “It was a collaborative effort. First and foremost, the facility team immediately brought in contractors to assess the damage, especially clearing the trees. That was the biggest hurdle and to ensure that we could ultimately reopen to members and guests when it was safe. Priority one was to clear debris, hangers and widow makers that were all over the course. Then we could turn our attention to the outlying areas and aesthetics. As you can imagine, the cleanup in the areas around the course took approximately six months.”
Major damage was then caused to the course by the machinery needed to remove the trees. Repairs to cart paths were quickly prioritized so that it was safe to travel around the site, while irrigation systems were temporarily put on the back burner as the track did not need to have water flowing in the winter. However, once the weather warmed up, much of the irrigation damage was discovered. So the course inspector and crew spent time isolating areas that needed repairing them and playing “whack-a-mole” from there, Deal said.“On the positive side, the community has been incredibly supportive and happy to get Forest Hills open again and experiencing some normalcy of being outside and playing,” Deal said. “They love the new greens and the course has reopened in absolutely fantastic condition. We’ve had great feedback from guests and members alike, and that has provided a little spark of momentum as we continue to clean up a frightening situation. It was great to hear community members say they are so happy this place is back open and in great condition.”
With Masters week so important to the club’s annual income, Deal says there was a lot of focus on Forest Hills in April, which only adds to the pressure to provide great playing conditions. In addition, it is home to the Augusta University golf team, former back-to-back NCAA Division 1 national champions in 2010 and 2011, which also hosts a major college event on the course in April. “
The Forest Hills Golf Course has been around for a long time; its opening in 1926 predates Augusta National, so it has quite a history. “The course has been around for a long time and isn’t going anywhere. Not even a devastating hurricane can keep this great golf course in Augusta down for long.”
And that is now more than clear.
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