Sep. 30—Golf courses around Aiken County weren’t spared when Tropical Storm Helene roared through the region in the early morning hours of Sept. 27.
Most courses lost dozens, if not hundreds, of trees and remain closed as cleanup and power restoration continues.
Palmetto Golf Club, the area’s oldest course, lost “too many trees to count,” General Manager Brooks Blackburn said in a message to members.
The entrance to the club on Berrie Road has been blocked as that area of Aiken was particularly hit hard.
“(Superintendent) Mark Swygert and his staff are starting the cleanup process,” Blackburn said. “We have lost too many trees to count but I would say it is well over 100 (not all in significant areas).”
Across Hitchcock Woods, the news wasn’t any better for Aiken Golf Club.
Owner Jim McNair Jr. said the club “lost a huge number of 100-year-old pines.”
He estimated more than 60 trees were down, and said it was “truly sad.”
The surrounding residential neighborhood also suffered a lot of damage.
“Yeah, it’s very overwhelming,” he said. “Highland Park is a war zone.”
Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville also suffered “a good bit of tree damage,” according to club president Tom Wyatt.
“Thankfully no major structural damage and we have a tree crew starting (Oct. 1) on the course,” Wyatt said. “The CSRA and its residents are resilient so I know we will rebound, but no doubt this one took us all by surprise.”
The Tree Farm lost around 400 trees, founder Zac Blair wrote on Instagram, but the course didn’t suffer any significant damage.
One of the area’s newer courses, The Tree Farm is located near Exit 33 off Interstate 20.
“I feel very fortunate that The Tree Farm made it through the hurricane virtually unscathed,” Blair wrote. “Of the nearly 400 trees that went down none of them severely damaged any greens, tees, fairways or buildings.”
Old Barnwell, located in the southeastern part of the county, was virtually unscathed. Only a few trees went down, and those didn’t affect the golf course.
“We got super lucky,” said Kitty Nicastro, Old Barnwell’s director of golf.
Across the Savannah River in Augusta, the home of the Masters Tournament also was in Helene’s path. Augusta National Golf Club issued a statement Sept. 28 but didn’t provide any details on damage.
“Our Augusta community has suffered catastrophic and historic impact from Hurricane Helene. We currently are assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club,” Chairman Fred Ridley said.
“In the meantime, our focus and efforts are foremost with our staff, neighbors and business owners in Augusta. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as well as everyone throughout Georgia and the Southeast who have been affected.”
During Winter Storm Pax in 2014, Augusta National lost the famous Eisenhower Tree on the 17th hole to ice damage.
John Boyette is executive editor of the Aiken Standard. Reach him at jboyette@aikenstandard.com or 803-644-2364.
