GALVESTON, Texas -- Hurricane Ike dumped a lot of debris on the Moody Gardens Golf Course, but inflicted only minor damage which keeps the course from opening to the public at this time. Golf Course employees have been working since three days after the storm to get the course cleared of debris and back into operational condition.

"We are doing everything in our power to have the course open in two to three weeks," General Manager Bill Pushak said. "We look forward to providing Galvestonians a place to relax and release stress, as well as encouraging visitors to return to our resilient island."

Special care is being taken to ensure the continued playability of the course. "The golf course weathered the storm quite well," Superintendent Steve Yarotsky said. "The grass, called Paspalum, is a salt tolerant variety designed for seaside courses, and it is still green and healthy."

Areas in need of repair are being assessed in the following order: greens, tees, fairways, bunkers. The most affected areas were the bunkers, while the clubhouse only sustained minor water damage.

Updates will be posted at www.moodygardensgolf.com as they become available. For more information, please call 409-370-4585.

Moody Gardens is a public, non-profit, educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research.

Contact:
800/582-4673 www.moodygardens.org
Kuriko Hasegawa, ext/ 4209
news@moodygardens.com
Jerri Hamachek, ext. 4249
jhamachek@moodygardens.com