Memorial Stump Program

[Terry Lavin]

We are looking at cutting down some trees at Beverly and are looking for creative ways to finance the work, as we're already committed to building a new maintenance facility.  We have recommendations from two architects (Prichard and Goalby) and two architecture critics (Whitten and Klein) and hope that the members will respond positively to this fundraising effort.  As opposed to the clubs that put a plaque on a tree that is planted on the property, we will put the donor's name on the newly created stump and send him/her a photograph of the stump with their name written in big black magic marker. 

When I was the grounds chair at Olympia Fields, I was asked by the USGA to cut down a bunch of trees on the signature hole (the 14th) and expected big opposition.  In order to convince the decision makers, we went out to the hole with the tree choppers and voted tree by tree until everybody was convinced of the merits of the recommendation.  I think they agreed after the second tree hit the ground.  I'm thinking we might do that at the first hole at Beverly.

Has anybody done anything similar at their club?  Any thoughts from the cognoscenti hereabouts?

[Ed Brzezowski]

Sell of hunks of the offending trees?  I cannot wait to buy a chunk of a tree I HATE on our second hole, it comes down October 18th and if I could I would love to make the first cut myself. I intend to make a coffee table out of its dead carcass.

[PCCraig]

Terry,


How much are you planning on charging per stump?


You could also charge folks for woodchip delivery in the spring?

[J_ Crisham]

Terry-  I was wondering why our current Presidents name was written boldly in black ink on the huge stump between 7 and 1. I saw it Sunday when my ball was next to it which warranted a ground under repair 3 or 4 clublength drop. Great idea IMO- I already have my memorial tree picked - the shitty willow to the right and behind 3 green.

[Jeff Bergeron]

Brilliant!

[Don Mahaffey]

I understand the premise but a golf course full of stumps? Talk about taking political correctness to an absurd level. If you take out a tree you take it all, you don't leave some decaying obstical that has to be dealt with and dodged for the next 20 years.   
Doing something with the wood or find some other way to recognize the donors.
Professionals really recommended leaving a bunch of stumps???

[Terry Lavin]

I understand the premise but a golf course full of stumps? Talk about taking political correctness to an absurd level. If you take out a tree you take it all, you don't leave some decaying obstical that has to be dealt with and dodged for the next 20 years.   
Doing something with the wood or find some other way to recognize the donors.
Professionals really recommended leaving a bunch of stumps???

Of course the stump is removed.  We take a photo of it with the donor's name on it and chop it up. 

[Peter Pallotta]

Terry - not very helpfully I know, but from reading posts over the years from the Chicagoland private club members, you all strike me as a charitable and community-minded group.  The memorial program seems a clever and charming idea, and I think it will work fine, but perhaps finding/adding partnering opportunities with both the arborists and local community/social agencies might add something else, i.e. a straightforward charitable donation from participating club members. In other words, a way of you saying to them: "This is going to cost you money, no doubt about it -- but it will make the golf course better AND we'll be continuing our tradition of supporting/giving back to the community".  So: the arborists cut down trees for less than the going rate (with a tax deduction for them) and the wood is cut to size for wood-stoves (valued at a standard cord of wood + the cost of cutting done the tree, for donation/tax purposes to members) and is provided to local groups that, say, run summer camps for disadvantaged youth. 

Again, this is way outside my area of knowledge/experience, but I thought I'd toss it out there

Peter

P.S. After all these years I never knew that you were the grounds chair at Olympia Fields.  You sure believe in hiding your light under a bushel, don't you 
       

[SL_Solow]

Terry;  near brilliance.  To think how far Beverly has come

[Terry Lavin]

Peter:

Thanks for that thoughtful post. I'm a gonna buy you a stump!

Shel:

Can I buy that stump on 18 at Briarwood? 

[Don Mahaffey]

I understand the premise but a golf course full of stumps? Talk about taking political correctness to an absurd level. If you take out a tree you take it all, you don't leave some decaying obstical that has to be dealt with and dodged for the next 20 years.   
Doing something with the wood or find some other way to recognize the donors.
Professionals really recommended leaving a bunch of stumps???

Of course the stump is removed.  We take a photo of it with the donor's name on it and chop it up.

OK, got it.  In that case I echo an earlier poster BRILLIANT

[Mark Studer]

Back in the early 90's we cut trees at Oakmont and ground the stumps asap(early in the morning) and cut an 8footX8foot squared up and leveled space around the old tree area with a sod cutter and sodded the area with the bluegrass sod that had been carried out on the back of a club car bed. It fit perfectly.  Some of the better old wild cherry tree wood was "recycled"; air dried for a year, and made into tongue and groove paneling that  now decorates the golf superintendent's office and conference room. The caddies told members of the early AM sawing and grinding of trees, otherwise it was pretty much  not noticed .  Maybe the sales of "recycled" paneling could finance your tree removal efforts Terry.  Or maybe be the kindling for a football weekend bonfire!

[Carl Nichols]

We have recommendations from two architects (Prichard and Goalby) and two architecture critics (Whitten and Klein)

Terry, were those recommendations about tree removal generally, or about specific trees?  Were they part of a "master plan"?


Our course needs a significant amount of tree removal, and I'm hoping that recent poor conditions will push the Board/membership to do more than they've been willing to do in the past.  (Subject to getting approval from Montgomery County, of course, which is apparently quite difficult.)

[Terry Lavin]

I'd list the categories as:

1. Sick Trees
2. Bad Species
3. Bad placement (in front of or behind bunker)
4. Agronomic issues ( shade on tee or green)
5. Trees in line of play that dramatically limit play from a side of the fairway.

[Kalen Braley]

Terry,


Much agreed on point #5, rip them all down!!      

[Terry Lavin]

Exceptions to every rule, I suppose.

[Terry Lavin]

I was out at Beverly today to watch trees around our first green being felled. I guess I could post this in the "have you ever cried on the golf course thread," but I only teared up a little. All I can tell you all is that you will love the new look of Beverly at this year's gca outing. We are removing all of the flab from the course. It's going to play firmer, faster and funner (word license please) than the most recent iteration. It's pretty cool getting fired up walking your course when it's 30 degrees outside.

[Marty Bonnar]

I'm thinking the 'Trump Rump Memorial Stump' would look good in big black magic marker.


F.

[Terry Lavin]

I'm thinking the 'Trump Rump Memorial Stump' would look good in big black magic marker.


F.

I don't disagree. You could throw yellow cotton candy on top of it for further subtlety.

[Peter Pallotta]

Judge -
your post, as part of this thread, brought a notion to mind, ie that every club member gets exactly the kind of course he deserves.
Now, you and others know (and this is no false modesty) that when it comes to great courses I'm the epitome of the know-nothing and been-nowhere type. But I've spent a lot of years reading threads on here,  and I've concluded that when it comes to making/keeping a golf course special, *what* is done is a lot less important than *who* is doing it -- and by 'who' I don't mean the architect (though that plays a role), I mean the people in charge at the club. If they are smart, if they are committed, if they care about the long term and about other people, and if they have the capacity to set aside their egos (in all its forms/guises) and balance their own wants/needs and preferences with those of many different members-golfers, the golf course is in good hands and the renovation or restoration will turn out just fine, and serve admirably its function for years to come. If the leadership *isn't* as described above, the changes will, sooner or later, prove to be misguided failures.
Peter

[Terry Lavin]

PP:


There's merit in what you say. I'll use my pals Mark Egge and Greg Ohlendorf as an example. They are the guys who spearheaded the restoration at Flossmoor (well documented here by Greg) and they did it by getting educated in the appropriate subjects by consulting with experts in the field. They also had the benefit of a terrific course superintendent who had earned the respect of all. Once they were persuaded that they had hired the right professionals, they set about the difficult task of convincing the membership (that already loved the course extant) that the golf course needed to be fully restored. The resulting work is in the top five restoration projects in Chicagoland and it involved cutting down 1500 or so trees. Leadership matters in these matters.

[Terry Lavin]

For the advance planners the Beverly gca day is July 11th. Details to follow in a few months but the date won't change. We tee off at 3:00 and hang around for a steak dinner on the patio.

[Howard Riefs]

PP:


There's merit in what you say. I'll use my pals Mark Egge and Greg Ohlendorf as an example. They are the guys who spearheaded the restoration at Flossmoor (well documented here by Greg) and they did it by getting educated in the appropriate subjects by consulting with experts in the field. They also had the benefit of a terrific course superintendent who had earned the respect of all. Once they were persuaded that they had hired the right professionals, they set about the difficult task of convincing the membership (that already loved the course extant) that the golf course needed to be fully restored. The resulting work is in the top five restoration projects in Chicagoland and it involved cutting down 1500 or so trees. Leadership matters in these matters.

For those interested in the referenced Flossmoor restoration:
http://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/flossmoor-country-club/
http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/flossmoor-november-2012/
http://golfclubatlas.com/flossmoor-part-2/

[Tim_Cronin]

Terry,
    Congratulations on making this happen. Your passion for the improvement was evident at the Golf Heritage Society meeting last June; great to see the membership agreed. The Bev will be better than ever.
    Post a photo or two if you get a chance.
Tim

[Mark Smolens]

For the advance planners the Beverly gca day is July 11th. Details to follow in a few months but the date won't change. We tee off at 3:00 and hang around for a steak dinner on the patio.

I'm in for the 11th, and will have 3 guests (might as well get my name on the list now...).