What happened at the Mill Creek Park Golf Course accident? Exploring the details of the mishap

A golfer was found dead on the 17th hole of the Mill Creek Park Golf Course on Saturday, May 27. The tragedy occurred around 10 a.m. ET, when two young golfers were looking for their ball near the 17th hole and a tree toppled on them. One died instantly, while the other suffered severe injuries.

Mill Greek Park officials verified the news, but kept mum on further details concerning the mishap. The tree was said to be 30-40 inches in diameter, and several ambulances were seen on the site.

Mill Greek Community director Jamie Yohman issued the following statement:

"An unfortunate incident occurred resulting in the fatality of a golfer. We are not releasing any further information to respect the family’s privacy as they notify family members."

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Mill Creek Park shocking deer data

This is not the first time Mill Creek Park has been in the headlines. Back in February, the park surveyed the deer population, and it was found that Mill Creek and its other properties have 19 times more deer than the capacity of the land.

The recommended white-tailed deer is around 10-20 per square mile, but according to Metro Park natural resource manager Nick Derico, it was around 387 per square mile in the park system.

Derico said, as reported by Vindy.com:

"We have too many deer in relation to available MetroParks property in terms of habitat."

“significant negative impacts to both the health of the deer population and the ecological biodiversity of the land as well as increased human conflicts," he added.

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Mill Creek Park Golf Course

The Golf Course has two 18-hole championship courses, one on each end.

Donald Ross developed the course, which opened to the public in 1928. The two Mill Creek courses contain four sets of tees each that range from 5095 to 6511 yards. The area is surrounded by wildlife areas.

The South Course features tree-lined fairways on level terrain, with streams coming into play on the fifth hole. Golf Week named it one of the top 30 municipal courses in America, while the North courses are made up of large trees and a variety of natural hazards.

Its designer Donald Ross is considered the father of golf course designs. Although he was born in Dornoch, Scotland, Ross holds dual nationality. He spent most of his adult life in the United States and started his career as an apprentice to Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews.

Ross' most famous designed golf courses are Aronimink Golf Club, Pinehurst No. 2, Seminole Golf Club, Glen View Club, Memphis Country Club, East Lake Golf Club, Inverness Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Miami Biltmore Golf Course, and Oakland Hills Country Club.

Besides designing, Donald Ross was also known for his golfing career. He played two of the major events, the US Open and The Open Championships, and recorded his best finish in 1903. He finished in fifth place at the US Open.