Heavy rains close Mill Creek course
Regulars at Mill Creek Golf Course may need to trade in a couple irons for boat oars if they want to golf any time soon.
Mill Creek Golf Course was flooded by the heavy storms on Tuesday, forcing the course to shut down. Brian Tolnar, Mill Creek’s PGA director of golf, said the course will be closed until the weekend at the earliest.
“We had some greens under water, tees under water and fairways all submerged,” Tolnar said Wednesday. “Our entrance from [U.S.] 224 into the facility is subsequently closed as well.”
The course also experienced 10 to 12 down trees that were uprooted due to the saturation.
Holes near U.S. 224, Tippecanoe Road and Lockwood Boulevard sustained the most flooding. Tolnar said the majority of the South course is out of commission. The North course had six to eight holes flooded, but has the best chance to reopen quickly.
Mill Creek hopes to have the North course reopened by Saturday and the South course by Sunday.
“Everything pretty much runs through the Metro Parks,” Tolnar said. “When it starts getting backed up, we start getting backed up, the water starts going over the road where the golf course is.
“It’s just how much are you gonna get, and hopefully it’s not too much.”
Tolnar isn’t aware of the financial impact other than canceled outings. He said the course has tried to make arraignments with groups from out of town. Tolnar said no equipment was damaged in the storm.
Saturday’s Drive, Chip and Putt contest for younger golfers could be impacted. Tolnar said today’s weather will determine the future of any events or outings.
Tolnar said the last time a storm impacted the course this severely was five years ago. However, the rainfall then was not as severe.
“Any time you get more than five inches or four-and-a-half inches of rain or whatever the number is, it’s tough to control the creeks and the levies and the lakes and stuff from backing up,” Tolnar said. “We can take two or three inches here and there and not have an issue and be playing the next morning.
“But when we’re taking on five and another inch today and possibly another inch or two tomorrow, you’re pushing the boundaries. It’s just Mother Nature.”