With country club start dates straddling the recent blustery storms, some clubs are having to calculate damage estimates before the usual-destructive-suspects, the duffers, even arrive.
The storm”™s rain and 65 mph winds left thousands in Fairfield and Westchester counties without power.
Sterling Farms Golf Course in Stamford lost more than 100 trees during the recent storm.
“They actually opened up earlier than normal,” said Carl Gregorio, president of the Sterling Farms Men”™s Club. “The only problem is there”™s no power so you have to pay in cash rather than credit card. They opened nine holes on Monday and nine Tuesday.”
Most downed trees were short-rooted evergreens, though Sterling Farms did lose one 200-year-old maple. Paul Grillo, executive director of Sterling Farms, a municipal golf course, had just begun the season”™s work the Wednesday before.
A bit farther up the line in Darien, Wee Burn Country Club was shaken, but having been open all winter wasn”™t at a disadvantage; even providing some of their less fortunate members with hot showers and food.
“We”™ve fared pretty well,” said Warren Burdock, general manager of Wee Burn. “We”™re fortunate enough that we have a generator on hand here and that provides about 80 percent of the club power, so we didn”™t have to close down at all.”
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Burdock said because the club runs year round without closing they were able to address the concerns of the storm more quickly than most others.
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“We even opened Monday because members were without power and water,” he said. “They were coming in for showers, food and water.”
Burdock said Wee Burn lost about 40 trees, though most fell into the woods.
“There was no real damage to the course itself,” he said.
Burdock estimates about $20,000 worth of cleanup at the club.
“This is the worst storm I can remember,” Burdock said. “I”™ve been here 20 years and was talking to a member whose been here 50 and he said the same thing. Obviously it”™s created a lot of trouble and a lot of roads are still impassible, but people were very civil, very organized.”
Westchester”™s six public courses — Dunwoodie, Sprain Lake, Saxon Woods, Maple Moor, Mohansic and Hudson Hills — which were scheduled to open on March 17, delayed opening because of damage.
“Most of it is trees, we”™re not exactly sure how many yet,” said Peter Tartaglia, marketing director for the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Tartaglia said because all of the courses are in different areas, the damage varies. He said each course”™s condition would be assessed and open individually at future dates.
