Axeman strikes at Chambers Bay

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Thought those of you whohave been to Chambers would like to know about "the tree."

http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/348955.html

Any suggested penalties whe the litlle weasel get caught?  Maybe they could make him caddie for ME!  I can think of a few ways to make his life miserable.

[tlavin]

I think that I shall never hear

A tale of a golf course tree

That brings a tear...

[W.H. Cosgrove]

“If they were just being drunk and stupid, they should turn themselves in,” Troyer said.

He has to be kidding.  Does Washington state give special leniancy to crimes committed while being drunk and stupid?  I would think you would have to be drunk and stupid to turn yourself in. 

It never helped me!

[BVince]

That is a shame, it is always unfortunate to hear when people do senseless acts of crime. 

[Mike Bowline]

And how ironic this occurs at the course with only ONE tree. Albeit a celebrated tree at that.

If indeed it is somebody (bodies?) who "have it out for the course" they sure picked the single iconic element of the development. Let's hope they don't continue to inflict additional damage.

And why just a few chops? Did they get scared?

[Mike Nuzzo]

how awful.
That was one very beautiful tree and setting.
It is a huge difference without it - imo.

[Garland Bayley]

Weyerhauser has a ton of tree doctors nearby. Are they consulting with them?

[David Stamm]

This kind of stuff makes me  sick!!! Cowards!!!

[Melvyn Morrow]

I have never been keen on trees on a course, but I am against idiots, drunks or brainless morons trying to destroy other people’s property.

Could not have been a golfer as he did not finish what he started – gives you a good insight into his character. Regrettable this is a world wide disease.
 

[Marty Bonnar]

'Lone Stump' won't have quite the same ring, will it?

Sorry for the humour but I have no other way of mentally coping with this one. I have never been to Chambers Bay, but , judging solely by the photos I have seen, I just KNOW I would LOVE it. I sincerely hope to play there one day.

I'm not an arboriculturalist, but I have seen LOTS of vandalised trees in the course of my work and I think it might be saveable.

Any thoughts maybe of an aggrieved Contractor? Local anti-golf sentiment? Nearby facility for the criminally insane?

sad,
FBD.

[Kalen Braley]

Any thoughts maybe of an aggrieved Contractor? Local anti-golf sentiment? Nearby facility for the criminally insane?

sad,
FBD.

Pretty good chance they would be all of the above Martin. Lone stump is brutal indeed.

They should contact the boys at Pebble, they put in a new tree of similar size I beleive on 18.  Pricey yes?  But hey just tack it on to the green fees.   

[C. Squier]

I have never been keen on trees on a course, but I am against idiots, drunks or brainless morons trying to destroy other people’s property.

Could not have been a golfer as he did not finish what he started – gives you a good insight into his character. Regrettable this is a world wide disease.
 

Amen brother.  At least they didn't use technology, a chainsaw would've taken it right down 

I hate the "drunkenness" excuse too.  A person did this, not a beer.  Its a shame a person can be so jaded that they do something as senseless as this.  The good news is, whenever something as stupid as this happens in protest, people rally around the protested and make it even stronger. 

CPS

[Ron Farris]

Has anyone checked with the architect.
The tales of Pete Dye and tree work is legendary.

All things aside, I hope they catch the fools who did this environmental terrorist act!  Shameless, drunk or not!

[Dan Chapman]

Wow.  I've never been to Chambers Bay but I can't believe that.

[John Moore II]

I certainly do not agree with what was done, but might it not be possible to replace the tree? Or is it too large to do that?

[mike_beene]

This guy is going to hate Thursdays.Hope they catch him.

[Pete_Pittock]

Potential good news related from a story in the International Herald Tribune.

  Tony Tipton, project manager for Chambers Bay, said a pair of arborists visited the course Thursday to give an initial inspection on if the tree could be saved. Tipton said the person carved into the tree about 3 inches, or about 20 percent of the tree's diameter.
   Before being fully briefed on the initial inspections, course general manager Matt Allen said the arborists are more optimistic about saving the tree than expected.
  "They think there are some options for being able to save it, or attempt to save it, using some of their expertise on previous trees that have been vandalized or damaged," Tipton said.

Link: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/01/sports/GLF-Cambers-Bay-Vandalism.php

[Garland Bayley]

Pete,

I am not surprised at that. My experience in the wood cutting business as a youth would tend to indicate to me that trees suffer more damage than what appeared to me in the picture and survive.

[Doug Ralston]

They aught to make void this senseless act of vandalism by putting trees in every fairway! Yeah, that'd learn 'em! 

I am more shocked if I find it was not a GCA regular, or other group of anti-treehugger fundies.

But that is just my own axe to grind .............

Doug

[Cory Brown]

There have been some problems with the ELF in western Washington.  It wouldn't make sense for them to cut down a tree, but nothing they do makes sense anyway.  They recently burned down a housing development, in which every home was built specifically to be environmentally friendly.

[Scott Stambaugh]

Vandalism in Tacoma?  I don't believe it!

For those of us fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to watch the Seattle/Tacoma news every night, Ed Troyer seems to cover more ground than a Ryder Cup captain.  Instead of spending any money on a replacement tree, Pierce County should think about getting him some help.

Punishments?  How about a summer of pulling weeds out of the 'native' areas.

SS

[Doug Wright]

"Don't worry about that tree surviving. The USGA can put up another one just like it real quick--even overnight!"

--Lon Hinkle

[Richard Choi]

There have been some problems with the ELF in western Washington.  It wouldn't make sense for them to cut down a tree, but nothing they do makes sense anyway.  They recently burned down a housing development, in which every home was built specifically to be environmentally friendly.

I hate environmental terrorists as much as the next guy. In fact, some ELF wacko tried to burn down my brother-in-laws house.

But let's not kid ourselves about "a housing development, in which every home was built specifically to be environmentally friendly" crap. Those homes AVERAGED 4,500 sqft. When you have a carbon footprint that big, you can't really call yourself "environmentally friendly". That is like Chevy Tahoe Hybrid calling itself green just because it get 20 mpg insted of 16 mpg.

[Jeff Grossman]

Since there is a thread on this I thought people might be interested in an update,

http://www.chambersbaygolf.com/layout10.asp?id=173&page=3564

[Cory Brown]

Scott,

I have a better punishment than a summer of pulling weeds, how about a summer of hand raking the bunkers at Chambers Bay.