Municipal Golf Course Update

By Moe White –

Asheville’s historic public golf course, known affectionately as “Muni,” was two years into a significant restoration effort when Hurricane Helene hit.

The Clubhouse, maintenance building, and Lower 9 holes all face the Swannanoa River, which reached an unprecedented 27.33 feet above flood stage and ruined or destroyed nearly every building along Swannanoa River Road, from the WNC Nature Center to the River Arts District and beyond.

Helene’s historically high water levels and 120-mile winds knocked down more than 100 trees in both the lower and upper sections of the course. Large limbs and entire trees—many of them stately, 50-foot oaks and other hardwoods—closed roads in the surrounding Beverly Hills neighborhood and damaged the greens and fairways. Surprisingly, it took only about a month to get the trees removed, and the Upper 9 reopened to golfers at the beginning of November last year.

The Lower 9—the front side of the Golf Course that drivers pass—was totally wiped out by the floodwaters. The Swannanoa River widened to almost a quarter mile along that stretch of the road, flooding out Cheddars Restaurant, Walmart, Discount Tires, and the River Ridge apartment complex to the south.

On the north side of the river, long-time businesses like Monteath’s Auto Service, WNC Tile, White & Williams Heating and Cooling, Estes Trucking, and The Treasure Club night spot were all destroyed. Attorney Michael Drye and his family, who lived and worked in a home office on the River Road, were swept away with their house, and he, his wife, and young grandsons died. Only his daughter survived.

Even newer buildings that had been built on berms above historic flood stage levels—Aldi Grocery and Caliber Paint and Collision—were ruined when the river reached unprecedented heights.

Half the Course Destroyed

When the storm hit, the historic Muni Golf Course had just recently finished a $3 million, three-year renovation. To its good fortune, and smart planning, more than half of that cost had been to repair and improve the storm-water drainage system along the Lower 9. That section had seen occasional, but repeated, flooding from earlier storms, and that renovation investment meant that holes 1 and 2, 10 and 11, and the maintenance building and parking lot were unscathed.

However, losing half the course to Helene’s flooding has meant that the number of players is seriously diminished. According to Patrick Warren, General Manager and Golf Pro, game starts on the Upper 9 are about 55% of the numbers they were before the flood when all 18 holes were open.

But, says Warren, “We’re making do. Of course we’ve scaled back staffing, and worked with vendors on lease agreements for our equipment, but the process is moving forward.”

City Involvement

The City of Asheville owns the Municipal Golf Course, which is managed under contract by Commonwealth Golf Partners of Williamsburg, VA, and City Council has committed to rebuilding it—as well as helping cover any losses in this interim period with only nine holes available.

For the reconstruction, the city has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the project, which Warren said might cost $7 million to $10 million, in part depending on how much will be allocated for mitigation in anticipation of future flooding. FEMA money is expected to be used for a large proportion of the renovation costs, though how much is uncertain. Possible funding could be from 70% to 100%.

Asheville has tentatively approved a contractor for the work, but terms of the contract, including budget allocations and timelines for reconstruction, will not be made public until the agreement has been signed. But Warren told The Urban News, based on “estimates from basic conversations, that it will probably be 2028” before the whole course is open.