A violent storm that swept through George on Monday (May 11) has left the town’s golf course dramatically altered, with hundreds of trees – some more than a century old – brought down.

According to the George Herald, the landscape has been permanently changed.

Gale-force winds brought down an estimated 263 trees, leaving significant damage across multiple holes and straining local clean-up capacity as tree fellers are in short supply.

Watch the video on YouTube here:

The course has since been closed for clean-up operations, with the George Golf Club confirming it will remain shut as safety and repair work continues. The clubhouse was not damaged during the storm and is open to the public.

“The course is currently not playable, and we want to ensure the safety of all players before reopening. The damage to the course is extensive,” the post reads.

On Friday (May 15), club chairperson Daryl Austin posted a video on Facebook. He said the ‘devastation on the course is real’.

Three greens on holes 1, 4 and 16 were severely damaged and were prioritised for repair. Austin said work on the greens was expected to be completed by Friday, with the club aiming to have at least nine holes playable by next week.

Several tournaments had to be moved to other courses or postponed.

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