Ike Disaster Strikes River Oaks

The beach front communities of Gilcrest, Bolivier and Crystal Beach are no more. Tattered debris of people’s lives line city streets up and down Bay Area communities. Galveston residents still may not return to their homes and those already there find mud, sewage, toxic chemicals and various varmint homesteaders in their houses. Hundreds of thousands of residents (including my ailing 96-year-old mother-in-law) still await electricity. Many traffic lights throughout Houston fail to work, resulting in massive traffic backups and crackups.  Many schools have yet to reopen due to lack of power or water damage. Hospitals run like M*A*S*H units, if lucky. One triage unit dealt with a man who contracted flesh-eating bacteria. While 57 people have been killed by Hurricane Ike, the number of missing has yet to be reported.

But those stories are not the biggest disasters and disruptions facing many Houstonians.  Our well-healed and storm-protected River Oaks residents (i.e. where Houston’s JR Ewing types sip mint juleps and plot hedge fund takeovers) received a disturbing e-mail from the management of their beloved River Oaks Country Club.  Seems Hurricane Ike leveled 180 trees at the pristine and formerly shady and green River Oaks golf course.

With such damage yet to be removed, River Oaks golfers may have to relocate their foursomes to the smaller Augusta Pines or to the ancient (circa 1999) Greg Norman designed Meadowbrook Farms (alas a course that allows public to put as well) or to Redstone Golf Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Shell Open tournament. 

Perhaps FEMA or their Congressional cohorts might reimburse them for their loss, hardship and golf relocation expenses. And probably with the way our lobbyist system and trickle-down tax breaks work, I’m sure the River Oak golfers received more than adequate compensation already.