EVANSVILLE — Seventeen days. That’s how long Fendrich Golf Course was out of commision.
Fendrich, one of three public courses operated by the City of Evansville, reopened on Monday following a large storm system that hit the area in early April. The rain caused Pigeon Creek, which runs adajcent to the property, to overspill and flooded multiple holes.
Course officials don’t think it reached the level of flooding in 2011. It was close, though. Water rose above the sinks in the bathrooms behind the 6th and 12th greens.
“You don’t think the water would ever get up to that,” Fendrich Golf Professional Mike Wassmer said. “Whenever the rain started, it was bascially over. It shut us down. (The water) slowly backed up into the golf course.”
The Padcuah, Kentucky office of the National Weather Service estimated that Evansville received anywhere from 6.8 to 8.43 inches of rain the first week of April, depending on where you were in the city. Water engulfed holes 2, 6, 12 and 13 at Fendrich. The Ohio River, which flows into Pigeon Creek, officially crested at 47.67 feet in Evansville on April 12: its highest level since 1964.
Wassmer said a partial course could have reopened sooner. He declined that option until golfers could “actually get around” the property. The plan was for just cart path only on 6-12-13 and shorter tee boxes on 3 and 7. Another inch of rain early Monday morning led to minor changes.
The water also briefly shut down McDonald Golf Course on Morgan Avenue — that course reopened last week.
“It was going to be a muddy partial,” Wassmer said. “We want to make sure we can do all we can for the City and make sure they get what they’ve got coming.”
Superintendent Jason Pharr said the affected greens have been mowed, cut and aerified since last week. His next worry are muddy fairways and potential weeds. This month is typically the start of growing season for Bermuda grass.
“The greens came out really good,” Pharr said. “They’re back to playing condition. There wasn’t a lot of trash on them. We’ll see when (the fairways) dry up. We’re going to try and go back out with some pre-emergent and keep the weeds out as best as possible. That will be the big problem.”
Wassmer anticipated play to pick up this week as the course continues to dry. Only a few regulars were on the course as of Monday morning. The flooding also impacted several high school golf teams: North, Bosse and Signature School use Fendrich; Memorial, Harrison and Day School typically practice at McDonald.
Just no more heavy rain in the forecast, please.
“It was really dry in the non-flooded areas,” Wassmer said. “The rain (Monday) changed that. Just silt and mud sitting on top of some of the tee boxes right now. That will be a slow process.”
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