DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — The gates to a historic golf course built in the 1920s will remained closed this season.
The city of Dearborn tried hard to keep the Deaborn Hills Golf Course alive and going, but they say the severity of flooding damage requires them to shut down completely and get to work.
“I was bummed because Dearborn Hills is a place where I like to start my season," Armond Harris said.
This golf course off Telegraph Road is where Harris warms up and gets a couple games in at least once a week.
Now, he's going to have to look for a new course this season after Dearborn Hills Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the city, announced there will be no season this year.
The season normally runs from March to October.
In a statement from the city they say:
“The course lost 42 days last season due to flooding, and this year would have required roping off a significant portion of the course."
- City of Dearborn
Michael Bracy was on the course last fall.
“Occasionally, there would be standing water on different holes, so they restrict us to the car paths only," Bracy said.
Other golfers say it was way more than standing water in certain areas.
“Sometimes, you would go after a heavy rain pour, you would go and the whole parking lot would be a swimming pool, essentially," Harris said.
City leaders say, "the flooding damage has been compounded by upstream logjams in the Rouge River, which continue to divert river flow onto the course fairways."
They added that it's important for them to bring the grounds to a much better state for its residents.
“It means a lot to the community and brings us all together every day in the summer," Harris said.
Even though there aren't any tee times this year, golfers are already looking forward to bringing their clubs back out to the course.
“Hopefully, they can restore the damage and launch a membership program so I can help support the program," Bracy said.
There is a banquet hall located on the property. Leaders say banquet events will continue as planned through mid-June and all reservation deposits will be refunded.
As to how much it will cost the city says:
"(We) continue to assess the scale of the structural problems causing flooding damage at Dearborn Hills and will have more information to share in the coming weeks. The main problem is removing logjams from the Rouge River, and we will focus our resources on that foundational problem."
- City of Dearborn
