"Carnage" Can't Hold LCC Back
Posted on Jul. 29, 2026 / Subscribe 0
Josh Saunders and his team at Lancaster Country Club (tag) have had quite the month.
Already battling several days in the 90s and three consecutive days over 100, Lancaster was hit by a July 4 downburst with winds topping 85 mph, torrential rain, and lightning. The storm brought down 80-90 trees and damaged roughly 100 more.
Saunders was attending a wedding when he saw the radar and knew there would be trouble. With the storm in full force he couldn't get to the course, and the next morning, his normal 10-minute commute took 55 minutes.
"Once I got there, I can really only describe it as carnage," Saunders said.
There wasn't much time to process what had happened. The club was hosting a Member-Guest that Thursday, followed just a week later by the GAP (tag) Open.
After what Saunders described as a surreal morning meeting, the team got to work, clearing debris, cleaning greens and assessing damaged trees. They successfully opened for members that week and hosted the GAP Open as scheduled.
In total, 196 trees were impacted, with 122 either falling or requiring removal.
"My staff is no stranger to adversity," Saunders said. "From sunup to sundown for the entire week, they knocked it out of the park."
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