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.