WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va.—
Friday's storms have affected sporting events all along the East Coast -- even causing the Saturday's third round of the AT&T National to be played without spectators because of the damage to the course. Meanwhile, another golf course has its own clean-up issues to deal with at The Greenbrier, as they prepare for next week's tournament.
The Greenbrier's Old White Course is a gem in West Virginia, usually filled with the sounds of tee shots and applause. All you hear today are chain saws and construction vehicles as a massive cleanup gets underway.
"Next week when folks arrive, again, it'll be as beautiful as ever," Tournament Director Tim McNeely said.
The Greenbrier suffered heavy damage in Friday's storm. The power is back on but dozens of trees and so much debris litter the fairways.
"Mr. Justice called first thing this morning and said let's get all the volunteers together," McNeely said. "Let's get all the vendors together and put our heads together and make this happen. We've got a tournament to put-on starting Monday morning and we're going to do that."
Three large trees, hundreds of years old, are down near the 18th tee box. On 17, the top of this tree crushed a viewing chalet along the fairway. And at the 16th green, a temporary hospitality venue was no match for a massive trunk about five feet across.
"Those are being taken care of as we speak," McNeely said. "We're going to clear those out of there and sort of get the debris out but that was the main damage."
Proving that nothing is in fact safe in severe weather, Chairman Jim Justice's personal box on the 18th hole was badly damaged. Justice put out a plea for help Saturday morning and that call was answered by hundreds of volunteers throughout the day.
"It's pretty devastating," volunteer Tony Juker said. "It breaks your heart to see all the hard work that went into getting this place ready for the tournament and now we have to start from scratch basically but we'll get it together and have a good showing for the tournament."
Juker and his wife own businesses in nearby Lewisburg. They got to White Sulphur Springs just after noon and as he put simply, started working.
"It shows the commitment of the community, how tight-knit we are and in tough times you gotta bring everybody together and get it done," Juker said.
"For folks in this area to have gone through what they did last night like we all did and have their own difficulties and still come out and donate their time is pretty special," McNeely said.
Despite all there is to do, officials say the course will be ready to go when the tournament begins Monday, less than 48 hours away.
"Our pride in this place and the state of West Virginia and Virginia we want to show through when the TV cameras click on next week we're going to be ready," McNeely said.
