99-year-old golfer happy to be back on course as Essex County flood cleanup continues

Rita Georgeff turned 99 years old on Monday — but she wasn’t able to celebrate at her favourite golf course.

“I heard it was really, really flooded,” she said.

She heard correctly.

Sutton Creek Golf Course — where Gerogeff tries to tee off at least a few times a week — was overwhelmingly submerged after severe storms flooded homes and businesses across Essex County last week.

On Friday, the course was mostly able to get back to normal with carts and golfers allowed back on the links.

“The course is in marvelous shape after all the flooding,” said Georgeff. “They did a marvelous job.”

Before and after shots taken by staff show how bad flooding was at Sutton Creek Golf Course after severe storms in August 2023. (Source: Sutton Creek Golf Course)

The course’s superintendent, Brad Hearn, said it hasn’t been easy but golfers and staff alike are happy to be back.

“About two-thirds of the course was under water,” he said. “They can’t believe how much water actually was out there and neither can I. Hopefully by the end of September it’s green again.”

The club had two tournaments booked last weekend, with more than 300 people expected to play through.

Staff said they were luckily able to rebook those in September.

In the meantime, staff was out raking up grass killed by the floods.

Homes through Harrow, Ont. have stacks of water-damaged furniture out at the curb a week after flooding on Aug. 23, 2023. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

CLEANUP CONTINUES ACROSS COUNTY 

Cleanup is still happening across the county, with residential streets lined with stacks of flood-damaged furniture bound for the dump.

“People are really devastated,” said Sherry Bondy, mayor of the town of Essex. “It’s a lot of their belongings and in many cases insurance isn’t covering these claims, or they’re not covering the full extent of these claims.”

Bondy said she has expressed intent at town hall to organize open meetings in each of Essex’s wards for residents to vent and share their thoughts on official response to the flooding and storms.

She said the town is trying to help.

“We are appealing to the province, saying 'Can you designate our area a disaster relief area?'” Bondy said. “So that may help people with their insurance claims.”

Homes through Harrow, Ont. have stacks of water-damaged furniture out at the curb a week after flooding on Aug. 23, 2023. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)