Edmonton golf course builds access road after flooding creek forces closure of its only other one

The only road to Edmonton's Mill Woods Golf Club has been closed by flooding. CTV News Edmonton's Noah Rishaug has more on the creative way the club is dealing

A southeast golf course has found a way around the closure of the only road to and from it.

Build another one.

The Mill Woods Golf Club received a permit from the City of Edmonton to build a path for drivers from a nearby road to its parking lot.

The plan to establish the route from Granlea Crescent to the lot has hatched after a swollen Mill Creek, which runs through the golf course, spilled over its access road during this month’s record rainfall in Edmonton.

The washed-out road and flooded course has forced the golf club to close for more than a week. That means lost profits during peak season.

“An average busy day in June is $25-30,000 with golf and carts and all that stuff, so it’s a big impact on our year-long revenue,” Todd Paquette, superintendent of the Mill Woods club, told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. “We’re hoping we can gain some of it back, but to gain all of it back would be almost impossible.”

After five millimetres of rain fell on the city on Monday night during a spectacular thunderstorm, June’s total is now 260 millimetres of rain, a new city record. The previous high mark was 1914’s 217 millimetres (8.5 inches back in those Imperial measurement times).

For now, the driving range at Mill Woods is open.

Several courses open following record rains

While Mill Woods, Country Side and Fort Saskatchewan are among Edmonton-area public golf courses that are closed because of soggy turf, several are – somehow, some way given the excessive amount of rain that’s fallen on the city – open and welcoming golfers.

Here’s a list of who we know is taking tee times.

Most courses are either restricting power carts to designated paths or are walking only.

Here’s a list of who we know is taking tee times.

• Cardiff (Morinville)
• Coal Creek (Ryley)
• Cougar Creek (Parkland County)
• Devon
• Eagle Rock: Because of water, Holes 10 and 11 are closed, while Hole 1 is a par-3.
• Edmonton Springs: Front 9 closed until further notice.
• Glacier Greens Par 3
• Leduc
• Pineridge (Seba Beach)
• Riverside: Power cart rentals are unavailable on June 30 due to soggy course conditions.
• Rundle Park: The east-end city course’s Back 9 is closed due to standing water. Course hopes to fully reopen on July 1.
• Stony Plain
• The Legends: This Strathcona County course had been down to a nine-hole course on Monday but is offering tee times for 18 on Tuesday.
• The Quarry
• The Ranch
• Triple Creek (Millet)
• Victoria

Closed until further notice

• Fort Saskatchewan
• Mill Woods: Driving range open, however. Alternate entrance (main road closed due to overflowing creek).
• Northern Bear (Strathcona County): Closed Tuesday.
• Country Side

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug