Frosty Valley Golf Links back open after flood
Dan Ruffing (back) paddles a canoe down a fairway along Frosty Valley Golf Links after the recent flooding of Chartiers Creek on July 28.
Frosty Valley Golf Links as it appeared immediately after Chartiers Creek overflowed it banks during the flooding event on July 28
Dan Ruffing has owned Frosty Valley Golf Links for 28 years.
Frosty Valley Golf Links as it appeared immediately after Chartiers Creek overflowed it banks during the flooding event on July 28
Dan Ruffing could hear Chartiers Creek churning. When he and his wife, Jeanne, looked out the window from their home high atop the vast expanse that is Frosty Valley Golf Links, his heart sank.
Instead of July 28, 2017, it was 2004 all over. His family-owned business was being washed away again.
“The worst was Hurricane Ivan,” Ruffing said of that “500-year flood” event 13 years ago. “On a scale of 1 to 10, Ivan was a solid 10. This was a 6.5,” he said of the recent flooding.
In either event, Ruffing had “an oceanside” view as the rushing waters covered the portion of the course on the western side of the railroad tracks. Holes No. 2 and No. 7, which border the creek, took the worst hit as the creek overflowed its banks by more than 150 yards. Ruffing estimated those holes were submerged in 8- to 9-feet of water.
The course reopened for business Aug. 4.
“When we get knocked down,” Ruffing said, “we come back stronger. We are resilient.”
Indeed. It has taken plenty of man-hours and work to get the golf course back into playing condition. In addition to his children, Dan, Ross, Maria and Cody, friends, golfers and the community rallied to Ruffing’s aid. Members of his church have also helped out.
“We appreciate all the loyal customers and supporters in the community that have come to our aid,” said Ruffing.
Peters Township and Bower Hill fire departments brought pumps, as many as seven, that operated continuously until the water was removed. Once the waters receded, volunteers hand raked and cleaned up mud from the course. They even collected some 5,000 golf balls that had been deposited in the lakes prior to the flooding.
“It’s been devastating,” Jeanne said. “Our friends, family and the community have been remarkable though.”
Loren Bartlette has known the Ruffings for years. The 81-year-old employee grew up in Peters Township but lived a time in Kansas. Noting his fortune to never have withstood a tornado, Bartlette said that he was “heartbroken” for the Ruffings when he saw the course. “It was unbelievable. A big lake.
“When it is your livelihood, it gets stressful. When you look at it, it’s going to be the rest of the season, you think,” he added. “It could have been that way but thank God for Dan and the guys who helped him get it done. It’s fantastic how people have come together.”
Thirty-three years ago, the Ruffings came together as a couple. Five years later, they purchased Hidden Valley Country Club and converted the 18-hole course into Frosty Valley Golf Links even though they knew it was in a flood plain.
“It’s a golf course, it’s supposed to flood,” Ruffing said, noting that seven of the holes are located within a 100-year flood plain. “We know that we are in the path of big floods when you get 4 to 5 inches of rain,” he added of the amount that fell in the area July 28.
Plus, Ruffing noted, new developments around Houston, Canonsburg to Southpointe contribute to the problem as runoff flows into the tributaries, which in turn spills into the creek, thus increasing the possibility of flooding.
Nevertheless, Ruffing has persisted in his operations, which includes serving several high school golf teams such as Peters Township, Chartiers Valley, Seton-La Salle and Montour. Plus, Frosty Valley offers a golf program with the moniker TGA, which stands for teach, grow and achieve. Additionally, the club offers leagues and lessons, a driving range and putting green.
“We had it pristine. How it’s supposed to be this time of year,” Ruffing said. “Slowly but surely, we are getting back to business.”
Ruffing noted that all holes above the tracks are open. “Come roam around and practice,” he encouraged. As we move into the fall season, we want leagues and members to know we are open and getting back to normal business. We are making head way on the rest of the damage every day. We are open year-round weather permitting.”