[PCCraig]

From Wikipedia:

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis or Agrilus marcopoli and EAB) is a green beetle native to Asia. In North America the borer is an invasive species, highly destructive to ash trees in its introduced range.[1] The potential damage of this insect rivals that of Chestnut blight and Dutch Elm Disease. Since its accidental introduction into the United States and Canada in the 1990s, and its subsequent detection in 2002,[2] it has spread to 14 states and adjacent parts of Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash trees so far and threatens to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America.[3] The emerald ash borer is now one of the most destructive non-native insects in the United States; it and other wood-boring pests cause an estimated $3.5 billion in annual damages in the U.S.[4]

According to this article the Emerald Ash Borer has made it to Minnesota, which apparently has one of the largest collections of Ash Trees in the U.S.: ( http://www.startribune.com/local/west/130034328.html ) This has started to affect golf courses in the area, which planted Ash Trees as replacement trees after Dutch Elm Disease killed off most of the Elm Trees.

Anyway, since generally speaking we're usually joking around here that "trees are nothing but big weeds" is this a blessing in disguise and an indirect way to clear out golf courses of unnecessary and unnatural trees? Or is this a major issue that will lead to other issues?

[Howard Riefs]

Pat,

If you have the ability to direct the beetle to strategically destroy specific, unnecessary trees on a course, then I'm all for it.  Otherwise, the Emerald Ash Borer continues to be an issue with courses in the Chicago area. 

Case in point, Thunderhawk lost a few hundred trees over the last couple years -- and it doesn't make the course the better. 

Most noticeable are the 100 trees now gone on the 5th hole (a short par four).  The trees on the right side of the fairway helped narrow the landing area for tee shots and, perhaps just as important, block out the adjacent road and homes.  Previously, I didn't even notice those homes. Now, they're the only homes you can see while on the course.   

[Kyle Harris]

Major major major issue.

It's a bit myopic, in my opinion, to only consider an issue such as this from within a golf course boundary.

It's also incredibly damaging to the image of golf course as environmental steward.

[Chris Tritabaugh]

I would agree with Kyle in that this is such a broad based issue in the Northern Great Lakes states that it would be somewhat callow to consider it any kind of a blessing for golf courses.

I can see the point you are trying to make but I wouldn't want to say we are taking advantage of something that is going to hammer much larger areas.

[Terry Lavin]

I'm hoping for a similar bug for blue spruce, scotch pine, silver maple, weeping willow, river birch and several others, with the proviso that I only want them to die on golf courses, of course, because even though I'm a big proponent of intelligent tree removal and planting on golf courses, I love trees elsewhere, pretty much regardless of the species.

[Jason Topp]

I think it will be a blessing for our course.  We have 5-10 marked to treat and the rest marked to go.  We have a wide mix of trees and it will not greatly alter the character of the course.

I played at the University of Minnesota course at the time Dutch Elm swept through.  Even though Elms are pretty much the perfect golf course tree and many beautiful specimens were lost, the course improved with the change.

[PCCraig]

I would agree with Kyle in that this is such a broad based issue in the Northern Great Lakes states that it would be somewhat callow to consider it any kind of a blessing for golf courses.

I can see the point you are trying to make but I wouldn't want to say we are taking advantage of something that is going to hammer much larger areas.

Chris,

To be honest as of up to a couple days ago I didn't know much about the issue at all. Obviously it's a major issue in parts of Minnesota as now it's the #1 state for ash trees, recently surpassing Michigan which was the first to be hit with the Ash Borer. Of course I'm being callow to assume it's a blessing to the golf courses in the area, but perhaps the better question is if golf courses in Minnesota (and the rest of the great lakes) will be affected to the point that you'll be able to tell all the ash trees are missing. Much the same as when the Dutch Elms died 20-30 years ago.

[Dan Kelly]

Much the same as when the Dutch Elms died 20-30 years ago.

American Elms. Only the Disease was Dutch!

[Chris Tritabaugh]

I would agree with Kyle in that this is such a broad based issue in the Northern Great Lakes states that it would be somewhat callow to consider it any kind of a blessing for golf courses.

I can see the point you are trying to make but I wouldn't want to say we are taking advantage of something that is going to hammer much larger areas.

Chris,

To be honest as of up to a couple days ago I didn't know much about the issue at all. Obviously it's a major issue in parts of Minnesota as now it's the #1 state for ash trees, recently surpassing Michigan which was the first to be hit with the Ash Borer. Of course I'm being callow to assume it's a blessing to the golf courses in the area, but perhaps the better question is if golf courses in Minnesota (and the rest of the great lakes) will be affected to the point that you'll be able to tell all the ash trees are missing. Much the same as when the Dutch Elms died 20-30 years ago.

No, I understand you point Pat and certainly you were not being callow but it is oft the opinion of those not around golf towards those involved in golf; that we are a callow lot. What I think is the bigger issue is the manner in which golf courses retreed themselves when the elms died. At that time there really was not a whole lot of disease resistant varieties and as course lost their elms they did what they thought to be best by planting hundreds and hundreds of ash. I don't know if there is a course in the Twin Cities without a large population of ash trees. Same goes for the boulevards in both Mpls and St. Paul; full of ash trees.

What it highlights is the need for foresight when planting trees. I believe courses are much better at doing this today. Great number of species and varieties so that no one problem can take a large number of trees. It also seems to me, at least at the courses in which I am familiar, that superintendents and committees are taking a good look at whether or not the ash trees they are removing need to be replaced. Jason has probably found this at Oak Ridge and I know Town & Country is taking this approach. Not a one for one replacement, rather replacing only where the tree needs to be replaced.

[Ian Andrew]

I grew up playing a course that was once lined with majestic Elms. I found myself wondering how much more impressive the course must have been before that happened and often thought that watching all those trees die must have been depressing. Unfortunately we are all going to see something very similar as the Emerald Ash Borer sweeps through Toronto over the next tree years.

The beetle was first detected in Essex County in 2002 and has been slowly working its way east. There have been numerous confirmations on golf courses in and around Toronto beginning last year. Unfortunately all native and non-native Ash trees are susceptible. They were a common planting on many courses in the last 30 years and some are key trees for safety.

Since the adults and larvae feed underneath the bark of the trees, they are nearly impossible to detect. The only potential for saving some is an injection program that will protect the trees for a year at a time. But like any solution of this type, it’s expensive and not guaranteed. I spent a day this summer deciding the fate of around 300 trees. There is no guarantee an injection program will work, but today we selected 100 trees to protect and hopefully save. That also meant I spent the day deciding which trees would go. I normally have no trouble removing trees, but somehow this seemed different.

I don’t think this is the end of our problems. The Emerald Ash Borer came from China and I expect more of these problems in the future as our economy is globally based. I’m not looking forward to the next three years as many courses will be dramatically impacted by the loss of trees. The only positive that will come out of this is that I have always pushed for diversity and I think clubs will be willing to spend a little more to provide that diversity and protection from the next event.

[Mike McGuire]

They found an infestation 10 miles from West Bend CC last year. Was hoping it would have been here by now.

Ash is Trash.

Elms they are not.

[Patrick_Mucci]

P Craig,

The Emerald Ash Borer Beetle has already taken its toll on trees at Mountain Ridge.

Unfortunately, most of those trees were the trees bordering the property, forming a desirable barrier.

The good news is that the recent heavy snowstorm really took a great toll on many trees within the golf course.

My review of the course last weekend revealed a more wide open, appealing look.

Recently, friends of mine were complaining that rounds were being extended by 30 to 60 minutes due to the search for balls in the leaves.  With the sun sitting lower, making it harder to see where balls end up, adding leaf cover as an additional impediment, thwarting discovery, resulted in significant amounts of time being spent searching for balls.

With Fall golf so popular, maybe this is another good reason to embark upon an aggressive tree management program.

[David Lott]

I think it will be a blessing for our course.  We have 5-10 marked to treat and the rest marked to go.  We have a wide mix of trees and it will not greatly alter the character of the course.

I played at the University of Minnesota course at the time Dutch Elm swept through.  Even though Elms are pretty much the perfect golf course tree and many beautiful specimens were lost, the course improved with the change.

My understanding was that there is no effective treatment. Your post indicates that may be incorrect. What's the treatment.

We do not have it yet in my part of Wisconsin (north and east of Green Bay) but it's coming and we will lose a big percentage of our forests.

[David Lott]

P Craig,

. . . .

Recently, friends of mine were complaining that rounds were being extended by 30 to 60 minutes due to the search for balls in the leaves.  With the sun sitting lower, making it harder to see where balls end up, adding leaf cover as an additional impediment, thwarting discovery, resulted in significant amounts of time being spent searching for balls.

Thus the leaf rule.

[Jason Topp]

My understanding was that there is no effective treatment. Your post indicates that may be incorrect. What's the treatment.

I do not know the name but it is expensive and temporary.  It would not be practical for a forest. 

[PCCraig]

I think it will be a blessing for our course.  We have 5-10 marked to treat and the rest marked to go.  We have a wide mix of trees and it will not greatly alter the character of the course.

I played at the University of Minnesota course at the time Dutch Elm swept through.  Even though Elms are pretty much the perfect golf course tree and many beautiful specimens were lost, the course improved with the change.

Jason,

How many Ash Trees sit on the course at OR? Is the club planning on taking them all out at once, or over a period of time?

[PCCraig]

Pat,

If you have the ability to direct the beetle to strategically destroy specific, unnecessary trees on a course, then I'm all for it.  Otherwise, the Emerald Ash Borer continues to be an issue with courses in the Chicago area. 

Case in point, Thunderhawk lost a few hundred trees over the last couple years -- and it doesn't make the course the better. 

Most noticeable are the 100 trees now gone on the 5th hole (a short par four).  The trees on the right side of the fairway helped narrow the landing area for tee shots and, perhaps just as important, block out the adjacent road and homes.  Previously, I didn't even notice those homes. Now, they're the only homes you can see while on the course.   

Howard,

From the Thunderhawk website:

Tree restoration update
Emerald ash borer beetle infestation forced the removal in March of about 50 mature trees and about 50 smaller trees and brush along ThunderHawk’s fifth hole. The trees posed a safety hazard for golfers. An ambitious replanting campaign will take place this spring. About 326 new trees and shrubs will be planted. New plants were funded through the USDA Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant.

[PThomas]

needless to say these types of developments are not good in any way

[Patrick_Mucci]

P Craig,

. . . .

Recently, friends of mine were complaining that rounds were being extended by 30 to 60 minutes due to the search for balls in the leaves.  With the sun sitting lower, making it harder to see where balls end up, adding leaf cover as an additional impediment, thwarting discovery, resulted in significant amounts of time being spent searching for balls.

Thus the leaf rule.

David,

I don't have my USGA rulebook handy.

On what page might I find the "leaf" rule ?

[Tim Nugent]

Pat, as unfortunate as it is that this bug is wiping out an entire species of trees, for golf courses, I do not worry too much. Ash trees were a favored species due to their fairly rapid growth rate.  This led to it being a good replacement for the American Elms along with other fast growth rate trees (see Terry Lavin's list of hated golf course trees).

The loss of the trees may help allowing more light into roughs and some greens, therefore allowing for better turf.  It is fairly evident to see the effects of overplanting on area courses.  When one Elm died, the area of impact was about 60' in diameter.  Often serveral  (3-4) trees were used as replacements to fill the void.  Of course, that was to solve the immediate problem with no thought given to what would happen when all those trees matured in 30-40 years.  And since no one could bring themselves to cutting down a perfetly good tree after 10-15 years, these trees began to grow into the same airspace.  The result is now trees that have a bad side or two.  If an Ash tree happens to nieghbor another species of tree and itnow dies, you may be looking at a remaining 3-sided tree.  So, you may see either many ugly trees or the cutting of non-Ash trees as a result.

In the end, who knows, maybe courses will replant with some of the Dutch Elm resistant cultivars that have been found and cross -bred iover the past 30 years and the cycle will have come full circle.

[David Royer]

Located in Columbus, Ohio we're losing ash trees at a significant rate.  We (greens committe and Super) left one obsure ash untreated to examine the time line.  This was only done after we determine that we could only afford to highly selective on the which trees undergo ongoing treatment.  It was pretty sad.  It got a point where it just seemed overnight the tree was lost.  Like most things there must be a point of critical mass where the tree simply is overwhelmed. I guess the only positive note was we've lost some spruces from a certain large chemical company product.  The trees obsured the views of some beautiful hardwoods.  Any expert knowledge on these subjects will be apprecaited.

[Jason Topp]

On what page might I find the "leaf" rule ? [/color]

[/quote

Model Local Rule 33/8-31.

[Kris Shreiner]

David and others interested in EAB and tree pest issues,

I have posted an overview of what we are seeing out there in the field and felt the subject would reach more folks under the tree management-removal thread. The main message is that fostering a solid working relationship with a seasoned arborist team, and a longe-range tree management plan, is the way to go. Sure it costs money, but over the span of time, the results are evident and actually save cash.

Check out the thread and IM me if you have any follow-up  questions.

Cheers,
Kris

[PCCraig]

Here is a new multi-state map showing the progression of Emerald Ash Borer:

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