Dennis expected to come ashore midday Sunday

Published 12:00 am Monday, July 11, 2005

While both lanes of Interstate 65 were flooded with vehicles heading north to escape the arrival of Hurricane Dennis, it didn't stop Montgomery's Robert Gamble and Andrew Delaney from enjoying a leisurely round of golf at Cambrian Ridge Golf Course Saturday.

"I'm not too worried about the hurricane," Gamble said. "What are you gonna do right now anyway? You get what you need and just wait it out."

Hurricane Dennis is now expected to make landfall between Mobile and Pensacola, Fla., around noon on Sunday, according to information from the National Weather Service.

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After passing through Cuba on Friday, Dennis was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, but has since strengthened.

As of 1 p.m. Saturday, Dennis is weak Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. The center of the hurricane was located about 355 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola, Fla., and about 460 miles southeast of Pascagoula, Miss.

The hurricane is moving northwest at 14 mph and will continue to follow that path tonight and through Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

So what do you do when a hurricane is heading for the Gulf Coast through Greenville?

Play golf.

"We will have about 60 rounds played here today," said Brian Reynolds, director of golf for Cambrian Ridge. "And these people are coming from all over, not just locals."

Reynolds said that he has about 100 rounds booked for Sunday, but all rounds will be cancelled.

When Hurricane Ivan ripped through the Greenville area, Cambrian Ridge lost almost 1,000 trees. Reynolds said that with the expected winds to reach over 100 mph just in Greenville, he said the course could lose another 150.

"We have some trees that have already been stressed by Ivan, so I wouldn't be surprised if Dennis takes them out," he said. "All we can do now is just hope for the best."