This morning we had to remove the large white pine that guarded the left side of the 3rd/12th fairway. One of the main leaders was split during one of the storms, leaving a serious safety hazard in a high traffic area. Once the damage was discovered, we informed the Green and Golf Long Range Committees so that we could work together to find a solution. Before the decision to remove the tree was made we consulted an arborist to see if it would be possible to support the leader and save the tree. The option he presented was to bolt through the crack, prune the limbs above the damage to remove some weight, and cable the limb to another part of the tree to provide additional support. He stated clearly that the crack would never heal, and the stability would not be restored. The limb that would be used to support the damaged leader was also damaged, and its condition would deteriorate over time. Once we learned this the decision was clear that it had to come down.
As soon as we realized the limb was damaged and there was a possibility that the tree would be removed, we contacted Tim Gerrish to help us develop a long term solution to restore the strategy and preserve the character of the hole. We are in the process of developing short and long term solutions that will provide a fair and balanced penalty for tee shots that miss the fairway, and will reward golfers that choose to challenge the left side to get a better angle for their second shot.
We will be working on this solution in the coming weeks, but for now our top priority is keeping the membership safe and informed of the situation.
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We recieved a plan from Tim Gerrish last week which is being reviewed by the Golf Long Range Committee. They will discuss the plan and vote on it this Thursday. I will keep you posted as things move forward.
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