Patching up the damage to Coal Creek begins

The 10th green at Coal Creek was damaged from the flooding. Photo: Coal Creek Golf Course

Louisville, Colorado – In the wake of devastating storm damage in August 2013, the city of Louisville, Colo. is moving forward with plans to complete a major renovation of Coal Creek Golf Course. The course was built in 1989 as part of a residential housing development.

In 2011, golf course architect Kevin Norby was hired by the city to complete a long-range capital improvement plan for the course directed at improving overall course conditions and identifying the need for long-term improvements.

But the storm and subsequent flooding in early August of 2013 changed everything. The storm toppled trees, damaged cart paths and parking lots, washed out bridges and bunkers, damaged the irrigation system and covered tees, greens and fairways with rock and silt. Coal Creek Golf Course is still closed and will remain that way until the repairs can be completed.

If there is a silver lining in all of this, it’s that the storm damage has provided the city with the opportunity to make some of the improvements identified in the capital improvement plan. Norby, the owner and senior designer of Minnesota-based Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects, said, “As we rebuild the course we’ll be looking at constructing some new forward tees and repositioning some bunkers to make the course more enjoyable for a wider range of golfers.”

Bridges were washed out during the flooding, including this one on the sixth hole at Coal Creek. Photo: Coal Creek Golf Course

Some limited work has already been done to remove downed trees and silt, but the majority of the repairs can’t be completed until a complete assessment of the damage and application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency are complete. The city is currently in the process of completing that assessment and preparing the necessary plans.

According to Norby, construction is expected to begin in late February or March of 2014, depending on the weather. “Our goal is to complete all of the necessary repairs by the end of the summer to allow time for the course to mature and be open for play in the spring of 2015.”

He will be working with Nebraska-based golf course contractor Landscapes Unlimited to repair the damage and make the necessary capital improvements. Norby also recently completed studies for Hillcrest Golf Course in Durango and for the six courses owned and operated by the City and County of Denver.