Tree Management Plan

I have had a few questions on the placement of the new trees we will be planting at DIGCC so I thought I would talk about the tree management plan. The plan is very in depth covering all the trees on the property so this blog will focus on tree placement. In 2007 we had the first arbor day event for the purpose of raising dollars for planting trees. The tree population is a significant part of the golfing experience at DIGCC for anyone who plays or visits the course. My first time on the property the size of the trees, the narrow driving area on the 11th hole and the Cork Oak on the 12th hole are memorable. I was involved in the building and grow-in of Silverrock Resort which is a desert golf course that had only one stand of mature Tamarisk trees that the 4th hole was designed around. The desert trees tend to be shorter and use less water than the species that we have at DIGCC. This water issue brings up another topic to blog about at another time.

The trees on a golf course are meant to be used as back drops to greens or tees, for protection and to divide holes from one another. The other use for trees in the Deserts of California is shade, this is one very important point to consider with 350 days of sunshine and 100 degree plus temperatures. The opinions of the consultant are strictly from an agronomic perspective and not that of a golf architect. The tree management plan has 3 main categories; trees recommended for removal, new or replacement trees and number three is tree trimming or maintenance. The first category, tree removals will be done to eliminate the trees that are hazardous,in poor health or trees that are planted in the wrong place. The trees that are planted in the wrong place, means they are shading a critical area i.e. a green or tee. Some trees are planted too close to irrigation mainlines and sprinklers or too close to cart-paths and have surface root issues. One of our concerns in this economy, are trees that cost excessive dollars to maintain and will be moved up on our removal priority list. The second category addresses the replacement trees, the existing trees are evaluated for the health, aesthetic value and whether they are placed in the wrong location. The trimming of the trees is a very costly practice especially the very large Eucalyptus. The African Sumacs that surround the property are another high maintenance tree. The new species we plant will have the desired characteristics one of those being minimal maintenance requirements.

I will continue to blog about the tree management plan in the future when a question arises or any particular landscape project lends itself to write about.

GCSAA National Conference

I am writing my first blog of many for the purpose of informing my members at Desert Island Golf & Country Club.

I just attended the 2010 National Conference in San Diego. This conference is attended by people from all over the world. I personally had some visitors from Ireland, Dublin and the west coast of Ireland, Dromoland Castle in county Clare. They toured DIGCC, Silverrock Resort and Indian Wells Golf Resort, they gave us high marks. The conference is an educational event with suppliers and educators from around the country. It is held annually and is a very important event for Golf Course Superintendents to network and get involved in the latest technology. The conference is a joint venue for Club Managers and Superintendents although the Club Managers are going to split off from the event to better serve their members. I only spent one day at the conference this time and I was able to see all of what I was interested in. The current issues that are being focused on are the economy and how to do the best job with less dollars. The environment and green issues are always an important topic and I write about DIGCC efforts.

The environment has been at the forefront of my management programs since the beginning in the early 70's. We just had our "Green Tournament" at DIGCC the Arbor Tournament, the money raised is going to pay for new tree plantings throughout the golf course. This is the third year for the event and we have been able to fund the third phase of our Tree Management Plan "replanting". The species we will be planting will continue to blend with the existing species and possess some of the desired characteristics. The trees we plant going forward need to be as "problem & maintenance free" as possible, what I mean by this is minimal pruning and shade producing. The Lemon Scented Eucalyptus (eucalyptus citriodora) was our selection for this planting, these trees have the good qualities we want and they are fast growers. A couple other interesting notes on this tree; essential oil is distilled from the leaves and twigs and is used in aromatherapy, if you crush some leaves in your fingers you can smell the fragrance. The bark on the mature tree is a smooth gray, cream or pink in color "very attractive". Just a couple of other "green issues" we are doing is the recycling of all green waste that we produce at DIGCC. The grass clippings are all mulched into the turf and the renovation debris for winter overseed prep is recycled the same way. The green waste materials that are collected are composted and returned in the form of organic mulch for divot mix, flower beds and new tree plantings. The most important environmental concern is water and the efficient use of it. The water we use for irrigation is pumped from a well into the lake, then pumped onto the grass and plants. The management of this has always been and is becoming more of a top concern of all the golf courses. I will continue to comment on this in future blogs.

I hope this blog and all in the future will help to inform all of you whom have an interest in the management of the grounds at DIGCC.