Flooding can't stop the duffers in Dixie

ST. GEORGE — Dixie's diehard golfers vowed this week to show Mother Nature that neither rain or mud or massive floods will stop them from playing.

"We've got 10 golf courses and 50,000 people (living in St. George). Those are pretty good odds," said Lee Conrad, founder of the Dixie Duffers Golf Association, a social golf club established a little more than two years ago by the northern California transplant. "The floods were devastating. We want to do whatever we can to support the city courses and SunRiver. We'll play the back nine holes twice, if we have to."

Along with homes and other property, the area's golf courses were hard hit this past week by massive flooding, which has caused millions of dollars in damage.

Southgate, a city-owned course, lost its first nine holes, said teaching pro Mike Smith, and it is unknown how long it will take to clean up and fix the 18-hole course. Another city course, Sunbrook, also was heavily damaged by the flood and requires repair of about three of its 18 holes.

SunRiver, a private development on the far south end of St. George, will reopen its flood-damaged front nine holes within the next six weeks, according to a press release.

"It (the damage) sure looks overwhelming, but once we can get the equipment in there and start moving debris out, we'll know more," said Smith of the massive clumps of tree limbs, two-by-fours and other pieces of broken houses clogging the course. "I had golfers show up to the driving range today, but I couldn't let them do it because of all the mud. They'd never find their golf balls."

Smith, like everyone else who saw the Santa Clara River gorge itself on houses, trees, waterlines, power poles and bridges during its rampage last week, is amazed at what the river left in its wake.

"I saw a beautiful house door just sitting out there in the river. It looked brand new," he said. "I think the river rose a little more than we'd ever thought it would. They'll have to reform part of the course, but we're still playing. If people make a tee time, we'll get them out on the course."

Conrad said his club begins its 2005 tournament season this month at Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, which was spared any serious damage. The club moves to Southgate in February, which could mean playing nine holes twice or rescheduling the tournament location, he added.

"We're waiting to see what they want to do," Conrad said. "We'll work with them any way they want to do it."