This hits way too close to home Joe. We've been at it since 2010 and more seriously over the last two years. I'm definitely working through the stages and singularly blamed for every tree that is no longer with us (if only I had the power some perceive I do....this would be a lot easier, and we would have unplugged many more - Tom's number of 1000 comes to mind).
Furthermore, we've successfully pissed off our tree huggers to the point that there is a petition going around proposing an 18 month Moratorium on Tree Removal (for the second year in a row)! Are we in high school or something? Petitions? What Stage does this fall under?
Speaking of that, what "Stage" in this do Board Members that oppose progress and tree removal create a "Tree Removal Policy" to create a bunch of red tape? Now trees proposed for removal by the Superintendent and Green Committee are wrapped in ribbon and a 30 day member comment period commences. The Board then takes all the "feedback" and makes the final decision on which ones stay and which ones go based on the following criteria:
Do the trees provide safety for the players?
Are the trees strategically important to the play of any hole?
Do the trees provide an aesthetic benefit?
Do the trees provide screening benefit?
Are the trees causing turf growth issues important from a visual standpoint?
All very subjective questions that cannot be answered by Board or Committee Members or Members. If only we had a Superintendent, a highly qualified Golf Course Architect, a USGA Section Agronomist, a 2010 Arborcom Study, David Oatis/USGA writings on Tree Management, etc. Oh yeah, we have all of those! What does the opposition base their case on?
- if we take those trees out, it will look like a Muni
- it will make the course easier
- people aim at those trees
- they frame the green
- they separate the holes
- they punish bad shots
- they are pretty
If this was in a court of law, the Judge would throw the case out after scolding the anti tree removal group for wasting his/her time.
Ah the thankless job of trying to support your Superintendent, increase turf health, recapture width, strategy, vistas (Brad Klein was right...can't mention the last three because 95% of the people at a club don't get it, but do have an opinion on everything related to the golf course), and overall just improve the club, which in this case in a Golden Age track built on a site that was logged prior to becoming a golf course.
Fortunately, I still have plenty of people to play golf with but fewer that I actually want to spend 4 hours with (and a handful I now refuse to). I am 0-3 in running for our Board, so the damage has been done, which is fine with me. Wrapping up year one on our Green Committee, but have one good buddy that has been booted from it twice in the last 5- years.
Joel, yes I did have it out for our last Superintendent, who wasn't interested in taking tree management seriously (I'm in the Northwest, so we have over 3000 80+ year old Doug Firs on our property - still can't understand why he didn't embrace it, especially with Arborcom involved). Eventually put enough pressure on him that he quit....and our old guard blames me to this day for forcing him out. If that is truly the case, so be it. It led to the hiring of a fantastic young Superintendent that has done wonders with our track over the last two years, which has included the removal of about 200 trees, with another 70 on the docket for this winter. Baby steps.
Anyways, you're not alone Joe! Thanks for the laugh and the vent. It was therapeutic.
Advice for those considering joining a golf club....find one that is already gone through all this....might cost you a little more but will save you a lot of time and pain.
Cheers.