Weather, Project Challenges

Over the last several weeks we've certainly had our share of weather woes. It's been unusually cold and cloudy, for what seems like an eternity, and then there was a few clear days of warm, near record high, temperatures. The welcomed warmth was followed by a few days of near record low temperatures, and now we're back to cool, cloudy and, most recently, extremely wet conditions. It seems like we've had spring, summer (though not much) early winter, and fall like conditions in the span of only a month! The good news is that through all this it's mostly been just mildly uncomfortable and may have only slightly affect playability and cart use, but it's not devastating weather conditions like in other parts of the country where floods and violent tornadoes have destroyed property and tragically, many lives. We should all keep those, whom have been afflicted by these life changing catastrophes, in our thoughts and prayers. In comparison our minor inconveniences are really quite insignificant.

We've had plenty of activity and challenge lately, with normal course maintenance, project work, and now this week, with excessive rainfall, but overall we are making good progress in all of these areas.

Course Maintenance:
Extended cool, cloudy, and wet conditions (at times) have significantly delayed seed germination in various rough areas where turf was very thin coming our of dormancy. Many of these areas were aerated, seeded, and covered with peat moss (to retain moisture and enhance germination) several weeks ago but are just now finally starting to germinate and establish. Rust disease as well as drought conditions last October likely contributed to the thinning we experienced and hopefully this recent overseeding as well as nutrient applications will soon provide good recovery.

 Seed finally germinates. Notice the tufts of seedling. These are growing in the aerification holes.

The cooler temperatures, and windy and wet conditions through much of our so call "spring" have also caused delay in many typical tasks such as applying broadleaved weed control products, topdressing fairways (performed on about a third of our fairways), planting annual flowers, and some of our routine mowing programs. We're making steady progress in all these areas but we certainly have had more delays than in typical spring periods.

Project Work:
The Paddle Tennis Project began on May 13th with demolition of the old building and wooden decking and site preparation including removal of all the concrete piers which formerly held the old courts. The court contractor disassembled the courts but we assisted in moving  30 - 6'x30' court sections to a staging area where they will remain until a later time when portions will be returned to use.

 Court section being transported to staging area

Pulling old concrete piers - a semi-truck load of them

Prior to excavation beginning, a couple poor quality trees were removed in the vicinity. This one was ready to fall without our help!

 The hollowed out portion was filled with these huge wood borer larva. A delicacy in some countries!

After the court decks were removed excavation for the building basement took place (on Thursday and Friday, May 19-20) and on Friday my staff, using two of our dump trucks and two larger capacity rental trucks, hauled the excavated material to the site behind No. 5 Green. While the soil material was delivered (over 180 loads!) I began shaping it and blending into the existing berm. At 9 o'clock that evening we had completed hauling of approx. 750 yards of material and had it all shaped fairly close to finish grade. It was a long two days that day but we wanted to take advantage of relatively dry ground conditions and dry weather at the time, and without stopping at all except to fill fuel tanks, we tackled the task at hand. I am indeed grateful to my staff for this accomplishment. Had we been delayed just a couple days we would still be waiting to move this material as this week's rainfall would have prevented any movement of heavy equipment and any shaping.

 We were all too focused on the task at hand to photograph the excavation, hauling, and shaping but this photo shows material in place and shaped. Hard to believe that this is the equivalent of about 75 semi-loads of soil.

Paddle House Basement - Where No. 5 berm soil originated.

At the present time we await dry conditions so that we can finish grade, seed, and seed mulch the berm and the haul roads. We're at a bit of a stand still right now but there is no question that with the material in place and shaping complete we have progressed quite well on this project. Yesterday I tried to work the haul road with an implement which scarifies and smooths but hit a bit of an unexpected soft spot and, well, the picture tells the story. I think I'll give it a couple days to dry out a bit!

 Operator (that would be me) thought that he couldn't get this machine stuck. He was wrong!

Some gravel placed under the tracks and a helping pull from our 4X4 dump truck solved this little dilemma!

Excessive Rainfall:

We had several days of rain this week (hence the problem I had above - really, it was only a little water on the surface when I crawled over it - but I hit a pocket of soft mush and dropped about 2 feet!) and this resulted in nearly two days of lost course work and a delay in continuing progress on the No. 5  berm project and haul road repair. 

 A total of 3.5 inches of rain fell Weds. and Thurs. this week.

 An all too familiar site last year... hopefully this doesn't have to be repeated again this year!

We will eventually get caught up, the course will dry out, we'll be able to finish the berm work, and then we'll move on to other tasks and projects. Lets hope we have some nice weather very soon!

Have a great Memorial Day! 

Recent Tree Management Activities

As the new year begins, and favorable weather conditions exist for our planned tree management activities, I'd like to provide an update on this work. Before doing so however, I want to show a couple photos of some snow removal work we performed on a couple greens on Dec. 31st. As you may recall in each of the past two years we have come out of winter experiencing turf damage (due to ice encasement) to a couple greens and our #8 fairway. Given this repeated situation we keep a watchful eye on the greens and will remove accumulations when in place for extended periods. This snow removal is necessitated by the fact that trees on the South, Southeast, and Southwest sides of greens #3 and #11, block sunlight, (which is lower on the horizon during fall, winter, and spring) preventing snow melt and potentially leading to ice accumulation and possible injury. 

 No. 3 Green - One of only two greens on the course, (the other was #11)  which still had snow remaining after a year end thaw and rain event. The next day, Jan. 1, temps were forecast to drop well below freezing, so we cleared snow and slush to prevent otherwise certain ice accumulation. 

 Surface cleared - Note heavy tree growth behind. A few trees closest to green have been removed (consistent with our planned 2011 Tree Management) to improve sunlight quality throughout the lower light periods of fall - winter - spring, providing benefits such as helping plants harden off and prepare for winter dormancy, melting of snow and ice, and enhancing spring warming and green up. Summer sunlight is of course essential as well, as it drives the energy producing process of photosynthesis. Many trees still exist off property in Forest Preserve, so we will still need to keep watch on this and #11 green, but maximizing sunlight can only provide valuable turf health benefits, and improved playing conditions, year round.

 No. 3 Green, early October, nearly half of green is shaded. The tree removal recently conducted will improve sunlight during this important time when turf is manufacturing and storing carbohydrates and preparing for winter stresses.

Before I continue this update on other recent and planned tree work I want to remind all Skokie members to be sure to refer to the Jan. issue of the Skokie News where an article was written by our Grounds & Greens Committee Chairman. In October last year we had a complete review (after a decade) of our Restoration process, procedure, philosophy, white paper, continued efforts, and more. We also had our Restoration Course Architect, Ron Prichard, tour the course, address the G&G Committee and provide recommendations for continued course improvements going forward. Please be sure to read our Chairman's letter as within it details the reasons behind one of the accepted recommendations, that being some tree removal.

The objectives of our current 2011 Tree Management include:

-Thinning crowded growth areas to improve quality of remaining trees.

-Thinning poor quality specimens to accentuate premier quality specimens.

-Thinning trees in certain areas where light and air movement has become limited compromising turf quality.

-Removing trees in certain areas where root competition has diminished turf quality.
-Removing trees that may interfere with a recovery shot from a hazard. (Eliminating the "double-hazard")
-Thinning trees in crowded areas where traffic is forced to confined areas, leading to thin and heavily compacted turf areas very difficult to play from. 
-Removing trees that fall within our 5 "D" guide (see Tree Management Archive)

The 5-D’s that guide our tree removal actions:
• Diseased - significant infection that is untreatable or too costly to treat.
• Decayed/Dead - significant decay, or complete death, resulting in structural weakening and hazardous conditions.
• Damaged - significant structural damage from high winds and/or lightning.
• Disfigured - Unattractive shape from over crowding of adjacent trees or from damage.
• Disruptive – Affecting playability. Causing traffic concentration, excess turf loss from shade, root system impacts to turf and drainage tile systems.

   

A few examples of these conditions follow:

 Diseased - Nearly half this apple tree is damaged by Fire blight 

Decayed - This Silver Maple could have come down by itself in the next wind storm

Damaged & Disfigured - these two Silver Maples have little, if any, value and only drain funds by having to prune, trim around, manage leaf drop, and root cut/jet nearby tile lines that fill with roots diminishing drainage effectiveness.

 Disruptive - Many trees behind 5th green creating ever increasing shade which will ultimately reduce putting surface quality. Several have now been removed and will be replaced by a low berm with natural grasses similar to berm visible on right side of above photo.

Disruptive - Shade and Root Competition gives little chance for turf survival.

An example of the volume of roots that can enter tile lines and compete against turf for water and nutrients.

So hopefully the above shows a sampling of what we consider prior to making any tree management / removal decisions. Other factors considered include: play strategy; cost/benefit of poor quality specimens; disease and insect control cost/benefit; (example: Do we continue to treat a poorly shaped spindly American Elm for Dutch Elm disease or an insignificant Green Ash for Emerald Ash Borer?)  and enhancing vistas throughout the course. Many factors indeed, are considered into our decision process. I'll post more information and photos soon regarding our current tree management progress.

Tree Management Activities

In an earlier post this year I mentioned that our annual pruning activities were underway. (See Annual Pruning Activities - Mar. 2)  Well I'm happy to now report that the aerial work is complete, nearly all of the branches have been removed from the course, and most of the remnant debris has been raked clean.  Hundreds of trees were pruned throughout the course over a two week period and the result is improved canopy structure, reduced chance of hazardous/dead branch fall, reduced incidence of disease through sanitation pruning, improved light penetration for the underlying turf, and overall improved health and appearance. Our remaining task now is the chipping of the branches stockpiled at various locations around the course.

In addition to this annual pruning we also have begun to address an additional tree management activity, that of tree removal. As I mentioned in the Mar. 2nd post and last year as well (click on Tree Management under Blog Topics to see all posts) we follow a set of criteria I call the 5-D's when determining whether a tree warrants removal.


The 5-D’s that guide our tree removal actions:
• Diseased - significant infection that is untreatable or too costly to treat.
• Decayed/Dead - significant decay, or complete death, resulting in structural weakening and hazardous conditions.
• Damaged - significant structural damage from high winds and/or lightning.
• Disfigured - Unattractive shape from over crowding of adjacent trees or from damage.
• Disruptive – Affecting playability. Causing traffic concentration, excess turf loss from shade, root system impacts to turf and drainage tile systems.

Approximately 25 trees have been identified as having met one or more of the 5-D criteria, more than half of which are spruce trees in groupings at two locations.  The following photos show some of the trees that have been (or will soon be) removed and the criteria reason.

  Spruce (5)- behind alternate tee #12 - Severely Diseased, Disfigured, Disruptive to tee.

Austrian Pine - #7 berm rt. of tee - Approx. 2/3rds Dead

 Silver Maple - Rt. rough #8 - Severe Canker Disease


 
Close up of Canker in above photo - causing dieback of canopy

Red Oak - Lft. rough #17 - Damaged central leader

Spruce - No. 8 Lft. of green - Diseased, Disfigured

Spruce (3) -walk path at #9 - Diseased, Damaged, Disruptive

Arborvitae and Spruce - Lft. edge #9 pond - Damaged, Diseased, Disfigured

Close up of Arborvitae & Spruce in previous photo showing extensive dieback from Disease

The above photographs are not all of the removals planned but do represent the majority and the most significant.  In some cases we will replace the removed trees/shrubs, such as in the last photo at #9 pond, where we intend to replant with a combination of clump form ornamental trees (Serviceberry), shrubs (Red-twig Dogwood) and grasses (Indian grass, Little-blue stem) which will provide multiple season interest.

Annual Pruning Activities Underway

It's that time of year again when, if you happen to be out walking on the course, you may see guys dangling from trees, and/or see branches scattered about looking as though a micro-burst just ripped through it. I'm happy to say the guys dangling are well trained, professional climbers, securely fastened to ropes, and the "debris field" is the result of their pruning activities.    

 

Annual Pruning Session Begins

Every year we have a portion of the course pruned to:

• Remove dead, diseased, or storm damaged branches
• Repair structural defects
• Thin the canopies to promote new juvenile growth and reduce shading of turf
• Shape the canopies to provide balance and improve aesthetic qualities

With nearly 2000 (not including adjacent perimeter) trees on the course it takes approx. 7-8 years to make a complete circuit. We usually have the work performed in specific sections but this year (with the Western Amateur Championship coming) we are altering this and moving around the course addressing areas most in need, and especially where improved light penetration is needed for improved turf health and vigor.

 Pruned material awaiting gathering, hauling, & chipping tasks

Our tree pruning contractor performs all the aerial (climbing) pruning work and our own staff performs ground activities including, lower branch pruning, gathering and hauling pruned materials, and assisting with chipping.

Every year at this time we also determine trees that meet our criteria for removal. It's a system I call the 5 "D's". The "D's" are; Dead or Decayed, Damaged, Diseased, Disfigured, and Disruptive and there are in fact a few trees that meet one or more of these criteria. We're in the process of finalizing a thorough evaluation and I'll soon report (on this blog) trees we will likely remove.

Tree Management Part II - Removals

This is the second Tree Management post and will focus on the removal activities conducted over this past winter. (Click here to see the first Tree Management post focused on pruning.)

There are few that don't enjoy stately, well-placed trees. They provide shade and screening; frame course features; provide scale, balance, and depth perception; provide interesting textures, shapes, and colors; provide wildlife habitat; absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen; reduce dust and particulate matter; stabilize soil; prevent erosion; and the list of positive attributes goes on. In comparison however, they limit play options; the shade they cast dramatically impacts turf growth and quality; root systems plug tile lines and damage hard surface paths; they block interesting views and vistas; can be easily damaged in storms creating additional damage to turf and structures; require regular costly pruning, disease, and insect control tasks; create weed problems when they seed; create expensive ongoing debris clean-up tasks; (seeds in spring, branches during summer, leaves in fall) and this list of negative attributes goes on.

So how do we decide if a tree should be removed at all? And, if so, how do we decide what trees should be removed? Some become obvious when destroyed by storms, but in other cases it’s not so clear. As we’ve mentioned in the past and recently in the Year in Review, we use the 5-D System.

The 5-D’s that guide our tree removal actions:

• Diseased - significant infection that is untreatable or too costly to treat.
• Decayed/Dead - significant decay, or complete death, resulting in structural weakening and hazardous conditions.
• Damaged - significant structural damage from high winds and/or lightning.
• Disfigured - Unattractive shape from over crowding of adjacent trees or from damage.
• Disruptive – Affecting playability. Causing traffic concentration, excess turf loss from shade, root system impacts to turf and drainage tile systems.

This past winter we did have a few trees that fell within these guidelines. The following list shows the locations and conditions that warranted removal:

This American Elm on the left side of #13 fairway unfortunately became infected with Dutch Elm Disease despite our treatment efforts and had to be removed. The decline is evident on the bark shown in the picture and even more in the canopy (not pictured).

We will continue to use this system when evaluating potential tree removals. It has been, and will continue to be, a critical part of our tree management program.

Tree Management Part I - Pruning

The calendar shows that its spring, but we still have a little winter work to complete, namely winter tree pruning. Actually, we’re very near completion of this annual work and we thought it would be an appropriate time to pass along some information about this very important activity. The majority of the actual pruning work is done by a professional arborist service (Nels Johnson Tree Care) who’s well qualified and experienced climbers have been pruning our trees at Skokie for a very long time. The Grounds Staff effort with this activity involves gathering the dropped branches and then loading and hauling to an area where we then assist with chipping.

Below: Nels Johnson climbers pruning a silver maple behind #3 green.

Above: Pruning limbs and debris clean up between #14 and #17.

Before we get into the benefits of pruning, we would like to discuss some background and dendrology.

We do most of our primary pruning activities in the dormant season for a these key reasons:

• Viewing and evaluation of structural condition and signs of damage or disease, to determine pruning needs, are much easier when trees are leafless.
• Climbing and actual pruning process is much easier and safer when trees are leafless.
• Vascular fluid is inactive or motionless in dormant trees so the unsightly and insect and disease attracting “sap bleeding” is eliminated.
• Volume of chipped branches is less and quality (for re-use potential) is best without leaves.

If you have ever seen arborists or climbers in trees with ropes and chainsaws, you may not have realized that there is a real "science" to their work. Just like most of the other procedures and practices that we carry out day to day, our tree management and winter pruning procedures, are based on the most current research.

Trees are active living organisms. Every living branch of a tree serves a purpose in maintaining the overall health of the tree. Branches serve a vital role by extending foliage out to the edge of the canopy where the leaves can photosynthesize. Energy that is captured by the leaves, and converted into food sources, is then transported through the branch to other parts of the tree. When a live limb is removed a source of energy and food production is also lost. In turn, when a branch no longer provides energy in excess of its needs, the tree will isolate the branch and allocate its energy stores to other areas of the tree. This is why internal branches decline once they become shaded. A tree only survives by increasing or maintaining a positive energy production. Removing declining or dead limbs, does very little to disrupt the overall health of a tree, but can help a tree respond and recover better.

When a limb dies or starts to decline, a tree will attempt to create a blockade zone to prevent any infection from gaining entry to living tissue. This process is termed "compartmentalization". If an infection gets through this prevention zone the tree will be susceptible to decay organisms and potentially life threatening insects and diseases.

While the impact of decay may be minimal with a tree in the middle of the forest, it can create a hazardous situation when the tree is near valuable structures, or where people (golfers) are present. The potential for decay from a wound or pruning cut is significantly higher in fast growing trees like cottonwoods, willows, boxelders and silver maples. With these trees it is imperative that a pruning cut be made "correctly" to protect the zone of compartmentalization. Otherwise, the decline of the structural integrity of the tree will be rapid. While slower growing trees like oaks and hickory are more resistant to decay, correct pruning cuts can delay and even prevent the initiation and spread of infecting fungi.

Unlike a cut or wound on the human body, trees cannot create scabs over pruning cuts or natural wounds. New tissue will eventually be created from where the live tissue remains, and in time this new tissue will “heal” the wound. But, unlike a scab, it will not heal the damage or infection. It will just grow over the damaged tissue, creating a weak point within the tree structure. The key to successful branch removal is to know where the zone of protection occurs and to keep it intact. This zone is termed the branch collar and contains active cells that will quickly grow over pruning cuts.

Years ago it was thought essential to apply pruning paint on, pruning cuts to deter insect and fungal activity, but research has shown little if any value in this regard. It can be useful if large branches need to be removed to improve visual appearance.

All of these concerns are taken into consideration by our pruning service. They are well trained, continue to obtain the latest in arboriculture research and they are like skilled surgeons, knowing how and where to amputate limbs with the least impact on the health of the tree and its integrity.

The benefits of our annual pruning program are considerable:

• Removes potentially hazardous dead, damaged, diseased, or split branches. *We do leave a few dead branches as well as a few dead trees (in out of play areas), for bird nesting and other wildlife. (Another blog topic in itself coming soon– The Life of a Dead Tree!)
• Corrects structural defects such as crossed or rubbing branches, and weak, tight-angled crotches.
• Improves health and vigor by promoting new more disease and insect resistant growth.
• Selective thinning opens center of trees to improve air circulation and light penetration for not only the tree but for the turf areas below. Improves aesthetic quality of tree.
• Lower growing limbs are pruned to prevent damage to mowing equipment, improve turf quality, open vistas, and allow for reasonable shot making.
• General shaping improves aesthetics and contains growth where necessary to prevent shot blocking issues.

A properly pruned tree - American Elm #5

Nearly all trees benefit from light pruning and with our frequent windy storms it becomes necessary for us to get around the entire course regularly. It is expensive however and so we have the course divided into sections. It is about a 7-8 year process to complete the whole course at which time we start again.