Justification for a Tough Decision

Change is never easy, especially when it comes to impacting something that you have grown accustomed to and have developed an appreciation for.  With that being said, sometimes change can mean opportunity.  This was the case regarding the tree removal project behind #12 green and along side #13 tee this past winter.  We had a clear opportunity to improve the health of a very important green.

Unacceptable turf conditions due
to poor air movement

Unfortunately, this opportunity was born out of a couple of very stressful periods.  If you recall the previous two seasons we struggled to keep the turf on #12 green alive during the abnormally hot/humid conditions that we faced.  Truth be told, we came very close to losing the entire green on several occasions.  If the fan were not present, I feel very confident that the past conditions would have been far worse.  Last winter, with approval from the Green Committee and Board of Directors, it was decided to significantly reduce the tree population in this area.  This was a very difficult decision to make knowing how it could potentially impact the view of the 12th hole from the middle of the fairway.

#12 before tree removal

With careful consideration to the backdrop of #12 green, a plan was put in place to remove a majority of the trees in an attempt to take advantage of winds coming out of the west, northwest, north and northeast.  I had great confidence that we would achieve our desired results, but there was no way to tell...until the week of July 1st.  The first half of the week gave us three days with temps in the mid to upper 90's, while the second half brought 4 days with temps in the low 100's with humidity.  This unprecedented stretch of weather wasn't exactly conducive for maintaining turfgrass, especially our greens that are comprised of Poa annua.  However, it was ideal weather to test our decision of removing the trees.

#12 after tree removal

Looking back on that week of horrendous weather and surveying the turf conditions of #12 green the following week, the green survived the test and has unquestionably gone from what was easily our weakest green to arguably our best one.  The best news of all is that the fan was never used, although I did consider putting it out.

I will stop well short of claiming that we will never have another problem with this green, but at this point it seems pretty clear that the decision to protect our asset was the correct one.  I would hate to think of what the condition of the green would be like now if we hadn't made such a tough decision.

Please click on pictures for a more detailed view.

Tree Work: Before and After

I have been discussing and preparing you for the planned tree work around #12 green and #13 tee for quite a while and now the time has come to show you the results of our plan. For those of you that don't recall these discussions or reading about it in previous newsletters, I will give you a 'Cliff's Notes' version of what all the discussion was about.

 During the last two summers we have faced unusual spells of very hot weather coupled with extremely high humidity and excessive rainfall leading to very stressful conditions for managing turf (especially on greens).  #12 green has not responded well during these stressful periods and has led to a loss of turf on the putting surface which required us to manage that particular green differently.  Even with the fan running to help cool the surface and increase air flow, it simply hasn't been enough. So, what could we do to help prevent this from happening again?  The simple answer is to improve air flow even more and to increase the amount of sunlight the green receives.  In order to accomplish both of these goals, an aggressive tree removal plan was evaluated, discussed and approved.  Below, you will see several before and after photos of the areas around #12 green and #13 tee.  This post is significantly longer than my normal posts, so please take your time and enjoy the photos. Click on the pictures for a larger view.

The first two pictures show  before/after of the area directly south of #12 green (looking toward #7 green tee).  The goal with removing five very tall and equally large trees in this area is to improve the amount of sunlight that the green will receive in the spring and fall when the sun travels across the horizon at a lower angle than it does during the summer months. More sunlight = Healthier turf.

Before

After

The next two photos really show how many trees were removed with the goal of improving air flow coming from the west.  These photos were taken from the north side of #13 tee looking toward #12 green.

 While improving air flow from winds out of the west will be extremely helpful, we really aren't accomplishing much unless we evaluate how to utilize winds from the northwest as well as the north.  These four photos show the work that was done along the fence line on the northern edge of the property by #13 tee and #12 green.  We had been talking about cleaning-up this area as it always seemed rather unsightly. I think you will really enjoy the new view to the north, while #12 green will enjoy being able to breathe a little more easily.

Looking northeast from #13 tee - Before

Looking northeast from #13 tee - After

Looking northwest from #13 tee - Before

Looking northwest from #13 tee - After

And now for the big reveal! Many of you are probably extremely nervous about how the view has changed from #12 fairway looking toward the green.  While we did make some rather significant changes, I think you will find that the backdrop to the green hasn't changed much.  Yes, it does look different, but I feel very strongly that we were able to keep the same overall view for your approach shot while opening the area for improved air flow to the green and surrounding areas.

Before

After