THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
Golf Center Flooding Could Cost Parks Extra
The Des Plaines Golf Center is no stranger to disaster.
Mother Nature has hit the year-round facility that's popular with golfers and diners hard over the years. Despite its close proximity to the Des Plaines River, it's always rebounded from storms and floods.
Another test of durability awaits the facility following last weekend's torrential downpour and massive flooding.
"It's worse than it's ever been," remarked Des Plaines Park Dist. Executive Director John Hecker Monday. "The water is the highest it's ever been. We won't know the extent of the damage until the water's gone down."
According to Hecker, when the Des Plaines River filled Saturday morning, water backed up into an underground sewer located in the landing area of the Golf Center's driving range. As the water bubbled up, it spread across the range leading to what will undoubtedly be costly repair of the artificial turf and sub-surface that was replaced in November 2006 at a cost of $500,000. Expensive restoration was also conducted following the August 2007 storm that flooded the Golf Center property.
In this past weekend's storms, Hecker added, a water retention basin on the adjacent par 3 golf course burst over its banks flooding the course and a nearby maintenance garage where numerous pieces of equipment are store. Preliminary indications are that the equipment was not damaged, Hecker said. As for the course, it will be closed for up to a week depending on the extent of the damage. The driving range may not be able to re-open for two or three days, "depending how it drains."
Extensive improvement work to the driving range landing area, scheduled to begin on Sept. 22, is now on hold, said Hecker, until the situation is evaluated. Work called for the laying of new turf and dirt, compacting the sub-surface, Golf Center painting and the laying of new carpeting.
"Now, it could be a lot more expensive," Hecker said.