(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A pair of local golf courses continue to be impacted during recent severe weather in Colorado Springs. Golf, a water-dependent past time, battles for sustainability in Southern Colorado as heavy rain and flooding rages on.
“We’ve gotten a lot of rain, more rain than we have typically gotten over the past years,” said Patrick Gentile, Colorado Springs Golf Division Superintendent.
This year already, Valley Hi and Patty Jewett golf courses received five and a half inches of rain, just in the month of June.
“We’re up to 14.5 inches of rain for the season here at Valley Hi and normally our total for the year is around nine inches,” Gentile explained. “We are already five inches above normal for the whole year.”
In addition to impacting playing conditions, floods can cause some serious damage that leaves a lasting impact on golf courses.
“The course in the Spring was in terrible condition, but it’s amazing how it’s bounced back,” said Tim Tansey, Colorado Springs resident. “There are still a couple of rough spots, but for the most part the greens are rolling really true and it’s a joy to play.”
The record rainfall has severely inhibited daily maintenance and access to many areas of a golf course.
“In this profession we manage what we have, mother nature dictates what we can do each day,” Gentile said.
When submersed for long periods, grass is deprived of oxygen and begins to die. Flooding can also damage golf course structures and other features.
“We were all very worried that it wouldn’t bounce back, but all the rain we’ve been getting the last one to three months has really helped a tremendous amount,” Tansey explained.
Repairs may require days, weeks or even months to complete and can cost thousands of dollars.
“A lot of the courses were really hurting in the Spring, Valley Hi was one of those that some of their holes were just difficult to play on,” Dan May, El Paso County resident explained. “It was so dry and the turf was just so bad.”
Coming off a dry winter, conditions have drastically improved and are now up to par at both Valley Hi and Patty Jewett golf courses.
Some Southern Colorado golfers FOX21 spoke with say, in their opinion, there are certainly some differences between conditions at Valley Hi versus Patty Jewett golf courses. Even going as far to say Patty Jewett gets more funding.
The reality is, Patty Jewett has a deed that was put out in 1990 when the city took it over. It basically says money that was made at Patty Jewett must stay at Patty Jewett. If Patty Jewett makes more money on greens fees, that course has more money to spend as per the deed.
