Rebuilding with resilience

Hurricane-hit Elk River Club has been revitalised following collaborative efforts from Nicklaus Design, Turfgrass and the local community.

When Hurricane Helene swept through the southern United States in September 2024, western North Carolina was particularly affected, with the small mountain town of Banner Elk one of the places hardest hit.

Flooding and fallen trees tore through the valley, damaging homes, infrastructure and Elk River Club, home to the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course in the state. The layout winds around Elk River, features more than 1,200 feet of elevation change and has the Blue Ridge Mountains serving as a backdrop on many holes. When Helene struck, however, the same mountainous terrain that Nicklaus Design had leveraged to create memorable holes turned against the course. Five greens were lost, drainage systems were overwhelmed and hundreds of trees were uprooted. In the aftermath, residents, members, staff and local crews came together to clear debris, rebuild structures and breathe new life into this one stoplight town. And rather than simply repairing what was damaged, the club saw an opportunity to enhance the course’s long-term future. Working from a masterplan developed by Nicklaus Design’s Chad Goetz, Elk River’s leadership committed to a full rebuild, reconstructing all tees, greensand bunkers, improving drainage, and implementing strategic refinements that had long been in discussion. “The Nicklaus Design team provided architectural continuity, ensuring that reconstruction work stayed true to the course’s original design intent, while the on-site maintenance team worked tirelessly to stabilise the property and initiate the long process of turf restoration,” says Toni Littleton, general manager at Elk River.

Due to its altitude, Elk River’s playing season is short – late spring to early autumn – which makes agronomic planning critical. With that in mind, Turfgrass joined to help the club navigate the complexities of recovery and grow-in.

“When Elk River found itself facing many challenges after Helene, I reached out to Brad Owen and Turfgrass,” says Littleton. “His expertise in advising us with all aspects of agronomy, staff challenges and course renovations was invaluable to us. Brad’s involvement added an extra level of confidence that we would overcome and build back better than ever. John Lawrence helped us in obtaining an evaluation of our equipment and to come up with a priority replacement list. Turfgrass was a great partner in very trying times I will be forever grateful.”

Owen, who began his agronomy career at Elk River in the early 1980s and maintains deep family ties to the area, returned in an interim advisory capacity. He worked closely with the team to assess damage, prioritise work and oversee turf establishment and grow-in on the front nine. Turfgrass also supported the club in recruiting a new superintendent. “My role was to help guide the energy in the right direction and make sure the course we hand back reflects both its heritage and the resilience of the people who care for it,” says Owen

“The vistas throughout the property have certainly been opened up with the loss of hundreds of trees, perhaps thousands. That strength of storm had never been recorded and, along with over 30 inches of rain, led to much of the front nine being underwater or completely washed out. The silver lining was perhaps the ability to move up a planned renovation of the entire course to add some length as well as adjust contours on several greens to better handle today’s modern speeds.” Elk River Club is due to reopen in May 2026, revitalised and ready for a new chapter.

“The major renovation stands as a testament to resilience, partnership and the strength of community-led recovery,” says Littleton. “It shows how golf communities can help lift entire regions, and how partnerships between designers, operators and consultants can shape a thoughtful path to recovery.” QCA