Has a course ever been permanently washed away by a hurricane? I wouldn't be surprised if one has, but I'd guess the membership at Seminole has the means and the motivation to restore the course to its pre-storm state (if I were them, I might be out on the course right now taking some very detailed photos, however.)

Augusta National nearly destroys parts of its course every summer, and they seem to rebuild it as good as new, if not better, by the time the next golf season rolls around.

Maidstone came pretty close to being mostly gone during the 1930s.  The overhead aerials of the damage are rather dramatic.  

I know Wild Dunes lost their seafront holes to Hurricane Hugo, as well.  

I'm sure there have been others.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah was being built when Hugo occured in 1989.  I think a big chunk of the work done up until was destroyed.  I think some of the routing had to be changed afterwards as well.

I'll wait for Mike Vegis to correct whatever (or even all) of what I said wrong.


It wasn't a hurricane, but heavy rains (and thus mudslides) destroyed parts of the old Ocean course at Olympic a few years back and the original (Links?) course may years ago.  I think.  

I would rephrase the title question.

I made the mistake of saying last year that a hurricane would help do some clearing at Mid Ocean Club.  They got one, but the loss of life and property damage in Bermuda was far more significant than the benefit to the clearing plan at the club.

Wild Dunes was the most severely damaged course by a hurricane of which I am aware.  Charleston National, which was supposed to cut its ribbon the day after Hurricane Hugo, was also terribly affected ... the tide didn't wash in, but all the trees around the course were levelled and the character of the course forever changed.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah was being built when Hugo occured in 1989.  I think a big chunk of the work done up until was destroyed.  I think some of the routing had to be changed afterwards as well.

I'll wait for Mike Vegis to correct whatever (or even all) of what I said wrong.

It wasn't a hurricane, but heavy rains (and thus mudslides) destroyed parts of the old Ocean course at Olympic a few years back and the original (Links?) course may years ago.  I think.  

Pete had staked out the course when Hugo came through.  Since Kiawah was on the south side of the storm, the winds were blowing offshore.  They blew so hard that the entire dune structure was washed out to sea.  Pete pretty much had to rebuild the dune structure as best as he could remember (with a few artistic adjustments) on the entire back nine.  

As Tom Doak mentions on Charleston National, if you play there today, you'll drive on winding cart paths in wide-open areas.  Before Hugo, they were winding through the maritime forest...

Yeaman's and Charleston CC also sustained major tree damage during hugo........if this one directly hits the Hobe Sound/Jupiter area, there could be at least 15 courses destroyed.

I'm sure Tom Marzloff-Fazio is ready to handle the situation if needed, matter of fact, he's probably waiting in a jet for the storm to subside. Might as well get Seminole while he's destroying all of the other ones!

Well, Seminole is bit closer to the ocean and the storm surge than is Doral.

Besides, how would anyone discern if Doral survived or not.

I live in Jupiter, a par 5 away from Seminole.

Let's hope for no loss of life

Cary and all others down there, keep your heads down...

5 AM NOAA advisory puts Frances' landfall at Jupiter, Florida.

Having been through 6 or 7 hurricanes, I think that the immediate focus obviously shouldn't be on golf.  It is terrible to see the changes that these storms can make on a course but in most cases you can clean up the debri (sp?) and start playing.  It breaks my heart to see these people that lose everything.  i will be keeping these people and this area in my prayers as I am sure most will.  May God help them, hopefully that nasty sucker will take a sharp turn right and go away.

Good luck to everyone in Florida.

Health, then Golf.

JWK