BANNER ELK, N.C., March 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction across North Carolina’s High Country, Elk River Club has completed a comprehensive restoration and renovation of its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, which is scheduled to reopen in May.
Hurricane Helene struck the North Carolina Mountains in September 2024 as a Category 1 storm, delivering more than 30 inches of rain to the Banner Elk area. Floodwaters and debris damaged an estimated 60 percent of the Elk River course, including greens, tees, bunkers, cart paths, and drainage and irrigation systems. The lower level of the clubhouse, which houses the main kitchen and dining areas, was inundated with several feet of mud, destroying equipment, furnishings, and food inventory.
“A day after the storm, it truly looked like a bomb had gone off,” said Toni Littleton, general manager of Elk River Club. “We drove under downed trees, across fallen power lines, and around large sinkholes just to reach the property. It was hard to tell if there was even a golf course beneath all the mud and debris.”
Access to the property was limited immediately following the storm. Club leadership was able to reach Elk River by traveling across the club’s private airstrip and crossing the bridge at Hole 1 of the course, which opened in 1985 as the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in North Carolina.
Further assessment revealed extensive damage throughout the property. Greens and tees were destroyed, bunkers collapsed, cart paths washed out, and stream banks and drainage systems were compromised. Additional damage occurred to outdoor amenities, including pickleball and tennis courts and the dog park. Horses housed in the equestrian center required care following the storm.
Prior to Hurricane Helene, Elk River Club had been operating under a master plan developed in 2021 to improve drainage and modernize the course. With much of the course already damaged, the club’s board elected to move forward with a full renovation rather than a limited restoration.
The club partnered with Chad Goetz, ASGCA, senior design associate with Nicklaus Design, to advance the original master plan. Construction teams began coordinating within weeks of the storm. Renovation work included relocated greens and tees, the addition of forward tees, reseeded fairways, modernized bunkers, improved drainage infrastructure, and expanded mountain sightlines created by storm-related tree loss.
“Before Helene, we struggled with how to modernize a course with a short season without closing entirely,” Littleton said. “The storm ultimately made it possible to do this the right way.”
Nearly 20 months later, the course has been fully restored and redesigned. Club officials said the updated layout maintains the character of Nicklaus’s original design while improving playability and long-term durability.
Littleton credited the club’s membership for supporting the project throughout the recovery process. “They never wavered,” she said. “Their financial and personal support made this possible.”
While Elk River Club sustained significant damage, losses across the broader High Country community were far greater. Many surrounding areas were left inaccessible for extended periods, and families and businesses throughout the region were heavily impacted.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a golf course,” Goetz said. “Lives were impacted, and the club stepped up to help the community. What they did was more important than rebuilding a golf course.”
In the weeks following the storm, the Elk River Airport served as a key access point for recovery efforts, accommodating more than 600 relief flights and operating as a primary collection and distribution hub for this part of the county. Elk River Club members also mobilized through the High Country Charitable Foundation, which provided more than 6,000 hot meals to volunteers and essential workers and distributed financial assistance to local charities. In addition, Elk River Helping Hands, also founded by club members, provided direct financial aid to more than 300 individuals who lost homes, vehicles, livelihoods, and, in some cases, loved ones.
The renovated course is scheduled to reopen in May.
David Jewell
The Jewell Agency
704.996-0165
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1162a59b-b6d0-4b80-92b4-6cfe9e3a30a3