Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Calif.)
Area golf courses appear to have weathered the latest storms to drench Southern California.
Club professionals and general managers reported little, if any, damage from downpours that continue to wreak havoc on the Southland. David Sams, director of golf operations at Brookside Golf Club, said the 36-hole facility has been saturated with 50 inches of rain since Oct. 1. Sierra La Verne's Ken Conant put that figure at 45 inches at his course.
Bob Thomas, senior director of communications for the Southern California Golf Association and publisher of Fore magazine, joked that he is responsible for the inclement weather. He wrote a story in Fore's November/December issue that detailed the effects of a five- year drought on the West Coast.
So much for that, it would appear.
"Yep, blame me,' the Eagle Rock resident said with a laugh. "All of this is my fault.'
Sams said he has done some research on the season's rainfall, and he found the totals are the highest in Los Angeles County in the last 120 years. The area was hit hard in 1937 and '38, which necessitated the construction of a flood channel that runs through both courses, "but not 50 inches like this.
"It really has been incredible,' he said.
The rain apparently hasn't deterred golfers still interested in playing, however. Sams said his 14- year-old son, Fletcher, played last Saturday.
"He's 14 and doesn't know better,' Sams joked.
Jon Marquez, director of golf at Westridge Golf Club in La Habra, said he doesn't mind playing in the rain because he doesn't have to pay for it, "but if I had to pay to play I wouldn't. I wouldn't go out there.
"People are crazy.'
Industry Hills director of golf Dave Youpa was more understanding of those who battle the elements.
"Actually, it helps you play better [in the rain] than when it's dry,' he said. "It really makes you concentrate. It's like wrestling in high school ... you always wrestle better against better guys.
"I'm not surprised when I see people coming out and playing. We have people in our hotel who are from Chicago or Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle, and this isn't bad for them.'
Area courses have lost some trees because of wet ground, but no hillsides have given way and there has been no flooding aside from pools of standing water. Youpa said the 18th hole of the Dwight D. Eisenhower course did have a new water hazard about 100 yards in front of the green "The ducks are loving it,' he said but there have been no other problems.
Westridge workers had to refill a sink hole next to a cart path on the second hole, but that occurred after an earlier storm in January.
Course officials still held their collective breath through the latest round of heavy rain.
"We were a little more concerned this time around because the ground is so saturated,' Marquez said. "You see landslides and homes collapsing on TV, and you wonder if it could happen here.
"But everything has gone pretty well.'
Los Angeles Royal Vista general manager Dan Hornig said his 27- hole course, one of the hilliest in the area, has held up well. A potential problem on the north course's 15th hole was averted thanks to the recent installation of 1,800 feet of drain pipe.
The rain has caused problems in revenue streams, however. Course officials contacted said at least a couple thousand rounds have been lost since late last year.
"If you lose a day,' Mountain Meadows general manager Chad Hackman said, "you're talking about 180 rounds. Throw in a weekend, and you're talking 250. Add it all up, and it's pretty substantial.'