Trees add many things to a golf course. They are used in the strategic design of a golf hole, for aiming spots from the tee, to frame a hole for beauty, and for shade during the hot summer months. But trees also come with issues. The concerns are when the leaves fall and your golf ball becomes lost, the expenses to remove the debris so the turf will remain healthy, and determining the value to the course as well as the liability.
Over the next few months, the staff will begin to trim and prune all the trees. Branches that interfere with playing and maintenance will be removed. There are several trees that have been identified to be removed because they are dead. Others will be removed due to poor health, thus creating a liability issue. There will also be others that are healthy that will be removed due to shade issues effecting turf quality, mostly on greens and tees.
The plan is to leave all branches on the ground through the winter and then clean up all debris next spring and grind the wood up with a chipper. This will give us a nice pile of chips to use in existing and new landscape plans out on the course. So this fall, be patient with the tree branches. The improvements will be noted next spring with a fresh look on the course. Everybody needs a haircut now and again, right?
