Paarl was one of the Western Cape courses to suffer badly with flooding last week. Another was Milnerton. Both are adjoined by waterways. The Berg River which flows past Paarl’s front nine holes rose more than five metres due to the simultaneous opening of sluices on the Berg and Wemmershoek dams. The second and fifth holes were submerged, and water flowed along the par-5 ninth fairway towards the clubhouse. Several bridges were damaged. The fast-flowing current ate several metres into the steeper banks of the river and there are safety concerns about golfers playing the par-4 second. On the Boschenmeer nine the narrow stream on the 25th hole was as much as 40 metres wide. The vlei around Nos 19, 26 and 27 rose more than a metre and the water pushed into low-lying houses on that side of the estate.
