LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The summer of 2025 is shaping up to be one for the record books — not just for the heat and rain, but for the toll it’s taken on Louisville’s public golf courses.
Despite what you might think, a mix of hot temperatures and heavy rainfall hasn’t been kind to the city’s greens. In fact, some of them are in such bad shape, they need to be completely replaced.
“A couple of them just need to be reseeded and start over because they lost them almost completely,” Louisville golfer Daryl Russell said.
The city estimates it will cost $60,000 to $70,000 to repair each one of the damaged greens after a cold winter followed by a dreadfully hot summer with more rain than usual.
“There’s also an infestation of an annual bluegrass weevil — a bug that eats grass. So there’s a lot of things that contribute to what you’re seeing today.
“We have we have consulted with chemical manufacturers. Seed manufacturers, other superintendents here in the Louisville area trying to get their advice on trying to figure out what it is exactly. And there’s not one person that can say, this is the reason here is exactly what’s going on,” Jason Canuel, with Louisville Parks and Recreation, said.
Drone video captured by WDRB News shows what appears to be dead greens — brown, patchy and barren — at several city-run golf courses. In some spots, there’s no green grass at all.
For golfer Joey Sears, that’s unacceptable. He’s become something of an unofficial spokesperson for frustrated local golfers, sharing dozens of photos online and voicing concerns directly to city leaders.
“At this point, enough people have messaged me, fed up with it,” Sears said. “I’ve met with the Council. I’ve met with the Parks and Sustainability Committee. I’ve met with all those people.”
Sears said part of the problem is how the courses are managed.
“The pros have contracts, so basically, they’re their own private entity. They handle the pro shop,” he said. “The city of Louisville pays for the maintenance and handles the maintenance. So it’s two separate operations.”
According to Sears, that separation has led to poor communication and worse results — like dead greens.
“Back in the day, maybe lose one green every other summer,” Sears said. “Never in my lifetime have we lost four greens on a golf course. Never in my lifetime have we lost nine greens like we did at Bobby Nichols.”
Despite all this, Canuel says 2025 is actually a banner year for city golf overall.
“Golf, in whole, on all 10 courses — this is probably one of the best years we’ve ever had,” he said.
But repairing the damage won’t be cheap. City officials estimate the total cost of fixing the damaged greens could top $1 million.
“We understand that there’s a problem,” Canuel said. “We have what we think is going to be a viable solution.”
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