Rain-soaked Hiawatha Golf Course may salvage some of its season when it reopens half the greens Friday, allowing golfers their first chance to play the course in more than a month.
The city was forced to close Hiawatha and Meadowbrook golf courses in mid-June after relentless rain caused Minnehaha Creek to spill onto fairways, rendering them unplayable.
Park officials discussed closing both courses for the rest of the season but found that the front nine holes at Hiawatha are now dry enough to play. Carts are allowed as long as there's no significant rain, said Sara Ackmann, who heads golf, ice and winter programs at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. But soggy spots may be roped off just in case.
"There's a little bit of damage on half, and half are perfect," Ackmann said of Hiawatha's greens. The driving range and clubhouse remained open during the course's closure.
The Park Board loses between $5,000 and $7,000 each weekday that a golf course is closed. On the weekend, that figure ranges from $12,000 to $15,000 per day, Ackmann said.
Had the courses been closed for the entire season, losses would approach $1 million.
Meadowbrook will likely remain closed at least another month.
Liz Sawyer
