Last week we finished up on Lakes 6 with some removals near the tees, and got rid of the brush piles that had accumulated in the woods on the 7 tee side of the pond. We then moved to the fairway bunkers on Lakes 4 to remove four trees that cast heavy shade onto the turf, which created a muddy mess in the fall due to the lower angle of the sun. Once the trees were on the ground we observed varying stages of trunk decay, most likely caused by their proximity to the cart path. We also spent some time removing the volunteer growth in the left hazard at the beginning of the fairway. The brush was blocking the view down the left side of the fairway, especially from the silver tee.
Next, we turned our attention to the overgrown area on Grove 6 before the pond on the left side of the fairway. It's a tangled mess of black cherries, native elms, dead ash trees, honeysuckle and jagger bushes. All the vegetation is native to western pennsylvania, and grows quickly in areas that are not maintained. The trees appear to be around 25 years old, which dates back to the time of course construction. In case you're wondering, we're working in this area to remove the dead trees, but also to allow more sunlight and airflow to reach the fairway and left rough. Anyone who has played from the left rough will attest how wet it always is, and the fairway isn't much better. The turf only receives a couple hours of sunlight each day, which isn't nearly enough for healthy growth. The first step in an area such as this, is to remove the brush and have a clear path of access to the trees. It required five hours to clear the brush with five employees and our usual mix of equipment. Once the brush was gone, we started removing trees by the pond and working our way back up the hill. We're removing trees on the left side of the drainage ditch first, then we'll move to the trees near the fairway and have them fall into the clearing. This helps keep the branches and debris concentrated in one area and it takes less time to do a final cleanup. We anticipate three or four days to complete everything.
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| Trees removed on Lakes 4 near the fairway bunkers. Notice the thin turf between the bunker and cart path. |
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| Thin turf in the drive-off area on Lakes 4 before the fairway bunkers. Notice the shade from the trees even without leaves. This area usually turns to mud in the fall from lack of sunlight. |
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| This black cherry tree was dead and we believe the holes are from woodpeckers. |
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| Lakes 4 fairway from the silver tee...before |
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Lakes 4 fairway from the silver tee...after
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| Making progress on Grove 6 |
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| Starting to remove trees near the pond on Grove 6. The green enclosure on the left is the control panel for the three aerators in the pond. |
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| One of many dead trees on Grove 6 that need to be removed |
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| Wood decay in a black cherry stump |
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