Plans are moving forward for the restoration and renovation of the Coal Creek Golf Course in Louisville, Colorado, following devastating storm damage at the site in August 2013.

Golf course architect Kevin Norby was hired by the City of Louisville in 2011 to complete a capital improvement plan for the course, aimed at improving conditions and identifying areas that could benefit from renovation.

But when extensive storm damage struck the course last August, which left fallen trees across the course, damaged cart paths, washed out bridges and bunkers, a damaged irrigation system and tees, greens and fairways covered with rock and silt, Coal Creek was forced to temporarily close to the public.

The closure did mean however that Norby – owner and senior designer of Minnesota-based Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects – was able to reassess the course improvement project, and incorporate his own architectural ideas into the repair work.

The storm washed out bridges including this one on the sixth hole

“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,” said Norby.

Some work has been done to remove fallen trees and silt from the course, but the majority of the work cannot be started until a complete assessment of the damage and application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency is carried out. 

Norby expects construction work to begin in late February or March 2014. Landscapes Unlimited has been contracted to repair the damage caused by the storm at Coal Creek.

“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 added.