When Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina in September 2024, Broadmoor Golf Links in Fletcher was devastated. Floodwaters buried much of the course beneath up to 18 inches of mud; thousands of trees were lost, and nearly every building, golf cart and piece of maintenance equipment was destroyed.
For owner Zeke Cooper, the storm became more than a recovery effort; it became an opportunity to create the course Broadmoor had always aspired to be.
"We stopped looking at the flood as a tragedy," Cooper said. "We started seeing an opportunity that very few golf courses ever get."
Rather than simply replacing what had been lost, Cooper and his team set out to build a more resilient golf course. One that’s designed to recover faster from future storms while delivering the firm-and-fast playing conditions of a true links course.
Cooper, who leases the property from the Asheville Airport Authority on a 50-year term, had owned Broadmoor for only three years when Helene struck. Drawing on his background in landscape architecture, he led the redesign alongside architects Lee Marshall and Justin Carlton and contractor Todd Godwin.
"It was as if my entire life was coming full circle," Cooper said.
The redesign extended well beyond repairing storm damage. Broadmoor had long been marketed as a links course, but with water in play on 12 of its 18 holes, it played more like a traditional southeastern layout. The storm removed thousands of trees and created the opportunity to rethink the course from the ground up.
Instead of relying on trees and water hazards, the new layout emphasizes natural contours, ground movement and 42 strategically placed bunkers that reward creativity and thoughtful shot-making. Tightly mown surrounds and firmer playing surfaces now encourage the running game typically associated with links golf.
"That type of golf doesn't exist in the mountains of western North Carolina," Cooper said.
One of the team's biggest priorities was improving bunker performance after heavy rain.
Traditional bunkers are often among the first areas to suffer during major storm events. Heavy rainfall can wash away sand, contaminate bunkers with sediment and leave them unplayable for days while maintenance crews complete extensive repairs.
"We know we'll see water events again," Cooper said. "Our responsibility was to make the course as resilient as possible and get it back into playable condition as quickly as possible."
Knowing future flooding was inevitable, Cooper wanted a drainage solution that would protect one of the course's most maintenance-intensive features.
Broadmoor installed CapillaryFlow bunker liners beneath all 42 bunkers throughout the course. The system was selected to improve drainage, reduce washouts, and keep bunkers playable sooner after storms while minimizing ongoing maintenance.
By allowing water to move efficiently beneath the sand profile, CapillaryFlow helps maintain bunker stability and consistency even during significant rainfall events. For Broadmoor, the system aligned perfectly with the course's larger goal of building long-term resilience rather than simply replacing what had existed before.
That decision paid off almost immediately.
Just days before Broadmoor's scheduled reopening in May 2026, the region received between 8.5 and 10 inches of rain over three days, causing nearby Cane Creek to overflow its banks. It became the first major test of the redesigned course.
The CapillaryFlow-lined bunkers performed exactly as intended.
"In the past our bunkers would wash out and stay wet for days," Cooper said. "The biggest wash, across all 42 bunkers, was about the size of my index finger. They were immediately playable."
Instead of spending days rebuilding bunkers after the storm, the maintenance team was able to focus on preparing the course for reopening, which saved significant labor while delivering consistent playing conditions for golfers.
Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene, Broadmoor Golf Links emerged as the course Cooper always envisioned. More than a restoration project, it represents a thoughtful redesign centered on resilience, strategic golf and infrastructure built to withstand future storms.
"We couldn't just rebuild what we lost," Cooper said. "We had to build it for the next fifty years."
CapillaryFlow designs bunker liner and drainage systems that help golf courses improve drainage, reduce maintenance and maintain consistent playing conditions after heavy rainfall. The systems are engineered to keep bunkers playable while minimizing labor and recovery time following storm events.