Tree Work...Orchard 5 Green & Lakes 7 Tees

Late last week we started removing trees to the left of Orchard 5 green.  Some work had been done there last year, but more trees needed to come out that continued to cast heavy shade on a majority of the green.  The shade created weak turf that struggled to survive during the summer, which resulted in bare spots on the putting surface.  As the removals progressed, we also discovered that most of the trees had some form of structural damage which led to internal decay.

We had planned to finish the work near 5 green at the beginning of this week, but all the snow melt and heavy rain over the weekend put that on hold.  The turf was too soft to drive the equipment over, so we started thinning out some areas adjacent to the tees on Lakes 7.  The staff was able to keep the equipment on the cart path and have been focused on brush and small trees.  The end result is amazing, just with the brush gone, and we plan to work our way back towards 6 green.  The next step will be to remove a few bigger trees hanging over the path near the tees that are blocking sunlight and airflow.

Big trees create big shadows

Work in progress between Orchard 1 fairway and 5 green

5 green from the approach

Main trunk logs showing signs of decay

Brush removed left of Lakes 7 silver tees

Staff removing brush left of Lakes 7 blue/gold tee

Tree Work...Grove 8 Fairway

This week we've been removing trees on Grove 8 in the hazard left of the fairway approximately 120 yards from the green.  This area had grown up so much that anyone hitting their ball down the left side of the fairway would not have a clear shot to the green.  Removing the trees also addressed a safety issue where players in the fairway could not always see the group ahead of them on the green.  Approximately 30 trees were removed ranging in size from 2" to 15", and plans are to keep the area a hazard and maintained as such.

Before...no view of the green or bunkers

After...green and bunkers in full view

Looking back from the green

Tree Work...Update

With the recent mild temps and snow melt, the conditions are too wet to continue work on the course.  We were able to finish on Orchard 8 early in the week, and then started removing pine trees along the pool and tennis courts.  We'll also be removing pine trees as you drive into the club along the hillside that overlooks the putting green and Orchard 9 green.  Unfortunately, these trees are being killed by a variety of factors and are past the point of saving.

The main cause of death for the trees planted on the hillsides are girdling roots.  Girdling roots are lateral roots that grow around (encircle) the base of the tree.  As the tree matures, the roots become tighter and will cut into the bark and inner cambium.  Over time the girdling roots will cut off the natural flow of water and nutrients throughout the tree, which leads to death.  The main cause of girdling roots is that they develop as a result of trees being planted too deeply.  When roots are covered by too much soil, less oxygen and water is available.  The roots will grow up towards the surface of the soil and encircle the trunk.  All the trees removed so far had girdling roots evident at the soil surface, some worse than others.  The problem with planting trees on hillsides is that for the tree to be straight, one side of the root ball will be covered by too much soil and the other side typically doesn't receive enough soil.  The steeper the slope the worse the problem becomes.

A handful of the pine trees are also being killed by Diplodia Tip Blight.  It's a naturally-occurring fungus that easily spreads by wind and water movement.  The fungus will attack new growth at the tips of the branches and form cankers that will restrict the flow of water and nutrients.  As the infection progresses, the lowest branches will die off and the disease moves upward in the tree.

Pine tree being killed by girdling roots

Girdling roots caused by planting on a hillside

One of several dead pine trees along hillside overlooking practice green

Pine tree near tennis courts showing signs of Diplodia Tip Blight

Tree Work...Update

This week the staff finished clearing the unwanted brush and downed trees near the short fairway on the right of Grove 9.  There was a considerable amount of debris that had accumulated over the years, but the end result is amazing.  We can't wait to see it this spring when everything starts to green up!  The next area on the list is to clean up/remove a few trees and the remaining brush along the lake edge on lower Orchard 8.  The beginning of the fairway still had considerable shade from a handful of trees, so we are getting them out while the ground is frozen.  The next location for targeted removals is to the left of Orchard 5 green.  We did some work in there last winter, but realized this summer that more trees need to come out that are casting heavy shade on the green.

Hazard area before right fwy on Grove 9 all cleaned up

View from Grove 9 tees prior to tree work (Spring 2016)

View from Grove 9 tees after tree work (Winter 2018)

Bryan Morgan (Assistant Superintendent) flush cutting a stump

Maintenance staff thinning out trees along Orchard 8 lake edge 

 

Having the right equipment makes the job safer and more efficient