Tennessee tornado damage

Just got off the phone with Jerry Lemons, president of Golf Links Inc., a 28-year Class AA Retired GCSAA member and now full-time golf course architect headquartered in Tennessee. Lemons and I spoke about the tornadoes that ravaged Tennessee last week, killing 31 people.

Jerry provided us with a bunch of photos of tornado damage incurred at Macon County Golf Course, a 9-hole public course. The course lost 380 trees, and seven of the greens sustained serious damage, resulting in about $200,000 worth of damage. The maintenance facility went untouched, the clubhouse lost two shingles and the pro shop took $20,000 in damage.

This is Lemons' second go-round with tornado damage in 5 years. He was working on a course in Jackson, Tenn., in 2003 when a tornado did $1 million in damage.

"This one was worse in the amount of acreage, the last one was worse in it was a more intense storm," Lemons said. "But there aren't any of them that are easy."

Indeed, this storm damaged about 9 of the 34 acres of the Macon County GC. And unfortunately the clubhouse bartender left for home when the storm came; her home was destroyed and she's currently hospitalized in serious condition.

Our thoughts are with all those who were affected by these devastating tornadoes. For lots more photos of the damage at Macon County GC, click here.