Ahoy! Heavy hail blows through Greene

The thunderstorm that blew threw Greene County June 16 left behind a lot of hail, as these photos of Pirate Pete's Miniature Golf by former Hook staffer Jeanne Siler indicate.

The mid-afternoon storm dropped so much hail that the Virginia Department of Transportation reported that it resorted to snowplows for clearing County roads. Additionally, Route 810 and Route 630 were closed due to high water, VDOT reported. While Greene County had no damage to public facilities, several businesses, such as car dealerships and Blue Ridge Trailers, reported hail-related losses.

Home of the pirate, Highlands Golf Park "lucked out," according to Gretchen Scheuermann, one of the owners.

"Two cars in the driveway were dinged up, but in terms of our facility, there weren't any broken windows or damaged siding," Scheuermann says. "It was just kind of a mess."

Indeed, the park was up-and-running immediately, as golfers were back on the course the following day despite wet facilities and some left-over hail.

Pirate Pete, of the miniature golf course, underwent some recuperation, in the form of a new paint job, as his wood and resin body retained some dings after the storm. "The pirate survived," says a relieved Scheuermann.
–updated 10:09am, June 24