Golfdom Files: Catastrophe works to club’s benefit

“In some cases, rubbish was piled on the greens and there burned.” That sentence would make most superintendents cringe, and unfortunately, it’s what happened after a massive hurricane hit Rhode Island in the fall of 1938. Despite the big burn brought about by an even bigger storm, with the help of a dedicated superintendent, a determined president and a pro from a neighboring club, Winnapaug Hills GC in Westerly R.I., was able to bounce back. Take a look at the article from the July 1939 issue of Golfdom to see how the 1922 Donald Ross-designed course — which is still active today and where Jeff Sprague serves as superintendent — made its comeback.