Tree Work

Ok. By now I'm sure everyone is well aware of the tree removal program that is underway. I want to discuss why certain trees were selected for removal.

 First, shade is without a doubt, the leading contributor to turf decline. Without full sun, turf can not accumulate food storage reserves, and as a result, winter kill and summer decline are almost inevitable. Every problem that we've encountered over the last three to four seasons can be traced back to shade one way or another.

We chose to drastically thin the left side of number four fairway. These trees blocked both sun and air flow to number four green. We also decided to remove the Rhododendron bed behind two green. Along with the trees on four, we also removed trees on the east side of five and eleven green. These trees were a recipe for disaster even though we didn't run into too many problems last year. Lastly, we are beginning to remove some trees on the bank behind six green.

 Many of these areas will be seeded to fescue and allowed to "naturalize." These naturalized areas will require very little maintenance, and will create a beautiful contrast in color from hole to hole. Playability of the golf course is our foremost concern. We are going to keep these areas out of play for the most part.

Throughout the next few seasons, we will establish more and more of the naturalized areas. The visual impact will be great. However, the bottom line impact on budget will be ever greater. First, the reduction in water usage will keep us in good standing with the city. Water usage, over the next 5-10 years, will be a hot topic. We can all expect to see mandated water use reductions. So, why do these naturalized areas help to reduce water usage? Plain and simple. They don't need to be watered. Second, these areas don't have to be mowed. The club purchased a new rough mower in 2010. Throughout the season, the new machine has accumulated almost 700 hours. That is double what an average course puts on their machine. With the establishment of these areas, we will see a savings on labor, fuel and machinery.

I've put a few links on the side of the page if anyone wants to read about the negative impacts of shade. Another option is to Google "shade on greens." There are hundreds of articles related to this topic.