Ashburn Golf Club cleans up in time for Canadian women's amateur championship

Staff have worked non-stop to make sure Ashburn Golf Club is ready to host the 109th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship after a record rainfall, the general manager says.

Golf course experienced flooding, damage during record rainfall this month

Josh Hoffman · CBC News · Posted: Jul 30, 2023 4:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 30, 2023

A line of golfers practice their swing on the driving range at Ashburn Golf Club. — Sunday was the first day golfers were allowed to practise at Ashburn Golf Club before the 109th Canadian Women's Amateur Championship starts Aug. 1. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

Staff have worked non-stop to make sure Ashburn Golf Club is ready to host the 109th Canadian Women's Amateur Championship after a record rainfall, the general manager says.

The four-day tournament starts Tuesday at the Windsor Junction, N.S., course that sustained some damage during the torrential downpour earlier this month.

"I got to hand it to my crew, they did an amazing job," said Gordie Smith. He said the course got up to 230 millimetres of rain last Friday night.

When he arrived at the course the following day, Smith said the river that runs through it was more than three metres higher than normal.

The irrigation pump house was totally flooded as well, he said, and the course sustained minor infrastructure damage.

One golfer practices a long put on a putting green while others practice on the driving range behind her. — The 109th Canadian Women's Amateur Championship start Tuesday at the Ashburn Golf Club in Windsor Junction, N.S. The event is open to the public. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

Smith said the golf club has been planning to host the tournament for seven years and they had prepared for everything, except for a historic weather event.

Members haven't been allowed to play on the course since the storm as staff worked to get it in condition to be able to host the women's championship, Smith said.

"It looks fabulous," he said. "We really weren't able to get out and mow some of the stuff until Thursday, Friday, but it's all good now and the greens are fantastic."

More than 150 golfers from around the world are competing in the tournament. Defending champion Monet Chun and 2021 champion Lauren Zaretsky are part of the field.

Past champions include Brooke Henderson, Jennifer Kupcho and Arya Jutanugarn, who have each gone on to play on the LPGA tour.

Several golfers practice their putting on a putting green in front of the club house. — More than 150 golfers are competing in the event. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

"It is the most elite amateurs from across Canada and internationally," said Mary Beth Mckenna, Golf Canada tournament director.

"We've got a number of players who are in the top 100 on the world amateur golf ranking," she said.

McKenna said Ashburn has a proven track record of hosting championship events, so it was an easy choice when Golf Canada was looking to set up events in this part of the country.

She said the organizing committee and course staff have worked long hours this week to improve course conditions and prepare for the event.

The tournament is free for members of the public to attend.

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