Hurricane Fran Redesigns Willow Oaks
Hurricane Fran crashed ashore at speeds up to 115 mph at Cape Fear, North Carolina, on the afternoon of September 5, 1996. As she moved inland, she set course for the central Virginia area and roared through Richmond in the early morning hours of Friday, September 6. Tropical storm force winds of up to 79 mph wreaked havoc throughout central Virginia.
Two were killed in Fran's vicious run across the Old Dominion. Fast-rising waters overtopped dams and riverbanks from Southside to the Shenandoah Valley to Northern Virginia, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes. Downed trees crashed into homes and fallen branches caused massive traffic snarlups. Over 400,000 homes across Virginia were plunged into darkness by the power outages caused in Fran's wake. Over 200,000 homes were still without power 2 days later. Telephone lines were atangle for days as local phone companies sought to restore service.
On Friday evening, the heavy drenching of rain in the mountains west of Richmond came crashing down the James River, with waters cresting at 31 feet at the City Locks - flood stage is 9 feet. Only the flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was higher at 37 feet. Willow Oaks golf course, hard astride the James and a frequent flood victim, was in the widening path of the James. As the River spilled out of its banks, the course was inundated with water. The course, already amidst renovation of the back nine tees and greens, got a helping (though unwanted) hand from Mother Nature as Fran pitched in with her course design ideas.
Design Highlights of Hurricane Fran's
Course Renovations
Fran redesigned the 3rd hole as a 419 yard par-4 with a forced carry
of 400 yards. The ladies tee was placed on a small island to give some definition to the tee.
Number 8, a relatively easy par-5 with a pond in front prior to Fran's helping hand,
became a much stiffer challenge. The hole now is highlighted by a forced carry of 500 yards with water hazards left, right, and behind.
Fran's treatment of 3 and 8 were benevolent in comparison to Fran's ideas for the 220 yard par-3 15th.
Already widely regarded as the most difficult par-3 in the Richmond area, Fran elected to try a new and dramatic design idea
and completely submerged her green. When asked about the genesis for this idea, local golf course architect Lester George speculated that
the inspiration for the idea may have come from Pete Dye's original island green concept at TPC Sawgrass. "Obviously, Mother Nature decided to take
Dye's idea to its logical conclusion."