Community shocked after Juday Creek golf course fire

GRANGER, Ind. (WNDU) – Juday Greek Golf Course is nothing short of a regional landmark. The course is popular for the golf itself, but also as a venue for large events in the area.

But the sights and sounds on the course Monday morning were not the usual.

“I woke up to fire trucks and ambulances coming down our street, and we walked down here,” said Devlin, who lives a block from the course. “At first, all we could see was smoke, and we didn’t know it was going to be this big.”

The fire at the course’s clubhouse has had a significant impact on the surrounding community. Neighbors like Craig Scheu, who has lived and worked at the course for 34 years, can’t believe what happened Monday morning.

“It’s pretty devastating,” Craig said. “You feel like this kind of thing will never happen. You see it on TV, but you don’t think it’s going to happen to you. And yet it does.”

And for his wife, Susie, the loss was personal.

“I had tears in my eyes,” Susie said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was like watching something you love die.”

And whether it’s been 30 years or eight months in the neighborhood, the feeling is the same: people are devastated by the loss.

“We really fell in love with the neighborhood because of the golf course,” said Anne Johnson, who lives right behind the course. “We have a great view of it. I haven’t lived here very long, but it was devastating to watch.”

The owners of Juday Greek Golf Course have said they plan to rebuild it in the future.

But for now, they will soon have a temporary headquarters that will allow customers to continue playing golf.