BOARDMAN — Mill Creek MetroParks’ nationally renowned North and South golf courses will be out of bounds to golfers for several months as park officials and insurance adjusters assess damage caused by Sunday afternoon’s storm.

Originating in the area of Tippecanoe and Shields roads in Canfield Township, an EF-1 tornado developed and was shortly joined by a macroburst. The storm devastated park-owned property south of Shield Roads and north of U.S. 224 buffered between Lockwood Boulevard and East Parkside Drive.

In addition to two 18-hole championship golf courses, a 1½-mile walking/bicycle trail east of the course has been closed to the public.

“When I reviewed the area first thing on Monday, I thought we were talking about weeks rather than days,” said Aaron Young, MetroParks executive director. “After being on site all morning (Thursday) with our insurance representatives and claim adjusters, we’re now hoping for or looking at that it’s going to be possibly months rather than weeks.”

Young said the storm struck the heart of the two golf courses.

“We have extensive damage to the course through tree damage, trees falling,” he said. “There’s some damage to the field house. We’ve had cart damage, greens damage, tee box damage. You name it.”

Park officials and claims adjusters are totaling the damage. Lost revenue from the courses hasn’t been determined.

In its 2025 annual report, the MetroParks reported golfers played 88,829 rounds on its two courses. That year, poor weather closed the courses for 55 days.

“Our main focus right now is to just identify plans for how we’re going to address the damage in the hopes of getting the courses back open and operational as soon as we can,” Young said.

He said some people expected the courses to reopen quickly — as in four days after the fact.

“There are things that we just simply haven’t been able to get to yet due to the high volume of damage done by this storm,” Young said. “MetroParks personnel couldn’t even access the site fully until (Thursday) morning.

“We’ve got priorities. We’re trying to get the vehicular drives addressed first, so that we can get access to these facilities. And then, once we get the vehicular drives cleared and open and safe, we’re going to address some of the pedestrian facilities.”

The public will be kept out of the damaged areas for a while.

“We’re aware that it’s an inconvenience for people’s recreational desires and wishes, but we have to keep in mind that an act of God came through, causing a lot of destruction,” Young said. “And we’ll be ready when we’re ready.”

Young said police citations will be issued to anyone found trespassing in the closed-off areas.

“We have problems with people ignoring park rules and signage when there isn’t a storm going through,” Young said. “We always have a challenge letting people know that it is for their safety of why these facilities are closed.

“Once it is safe to be able to enter, we will remove the barricades.”

Mill Creek’s other well-known attractions — Fellows Riverside Gardens, Lanterman’s Mill, the Wick Recreation Area and MetroParks Farm — remain open, Visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org for site-specific information.