You may have noticed a few trees missing around the golf course. You may have also noticed some undergrowth being cleared and some limbs being removed. We do this work during the winter when frozen ground conditions limit damage from falling trees and less traffic on the golf course limits safety concerns. We take careful consideration when choosing to prune or remove any tree at Willow Oaks Country Club. Tree maintenance and removal is performed for three important reasons.
1: Tree Removal due to damaged, dead or unsafe trees.
An example of this is the removal of the dead trees between the 2nd green and the 3rd tees. These trees were dead and starting to drop limbs at a rapid rate. The proximity to essential features of the golf course as well as the danger of falling limbs to golfers made it necessary for us to remove these trees.
2: Tree Removal or pruning in order to promote turf growth by improving air movement, improving sunlight exposure and reducing competition for nutrient and water uptake.
A great example of this is the removal of the trees from the western side of the on deck putting green. These trees competed with the green for sunlight, water and nutrients. The video below has a great illustration of this.
3: Tree Pruning to preserve health, safety and aesthetic value of our trees.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Art of Balancing Turf and Tree Health
When tree work needs to be done around the clubhouse, we bring in the professional arborists from Arborscapes. An analogy was used referring to the tree projects here at Willow Oaks; “Our golf course management team is the machete and Arborscapes is the scalpel.” The team from Arborscapes analyzes the large namesake Willow Oak trees around the clubhouse and performs precise pruning techniques to remove dead wood and reduce excess weight. This preventative practice known as crown cleaning improves the trees’ long and short term health as well as reduces safety risks associated with falling limbs. The club’s long term commitment to the health and safety of these trees will pay off for years to come.
Please enjoy this educational video from the USGA about Trees on the Golf Course
