Memorial Stump Program

[Andrew Lewis]

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.

Per the norm, I will start a proper thread regarding the GCA day in the coming months that includes full details.

[Terry Lavin]

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

I'm not a picture poster but I'll get somebody to take photos and get them on the site once the work is done.  Just as an example, on the first hole, we removed about 15 trees on either side of the fairway and three trees right around the green.  Those trees blocked access to one of the greenside bunkers, blocked egress from another bunker and two were at the back of the green which abuts a thirty foot high ridge, so the trees would not only cast shade on the green, they would occasionally prevent a shot from going down the hill.  Now, the first green has an infinity look and the natural hazards are in play while the vertically growing hazards have been removed.

[SL_Solow]

I have been advocating for the changes to 1 since before the first tree removal project (which was very good).  Waiting to see what you do with 4 among others.

[Paul Stockert]

"Now, the first green has an infinity look and the natural hazards are in play while the vertically growing hazards have been removed." Sounds incredible!  Have absolutely loved the few times I've been lucky enough to play the Bev, and with some more trees down it should be even more fun to play.    I'm sure the guy in charge of greens will like that too.  Good luck! 


As far as financing ideas, I like your idea of giving people the option to be able to finance taking down their biggest nemesis.  That's great.  As far as others, hypothetically if gambling were legal, it seems like there'd be a way to have some kind of 50/50 type squares comp for March Madness where half the money fells some trees and the rest goes to some winners.  Hypothetically I mean.  Otherwise I say save the wood and have some nice Friday night family bonfires and movie nights with it.  A small member fee for snacks and attendance might pay back the tree fund.  Other than that my favorite has to be selling it as tongue and groove, ha. 


PJ 

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

I'm not a picture poster but I'll get somebody to take photos and get them on the site once the work is done.  Just as an example, on the first hole, we removed about 15 trees on either side of the fairway and three trees right around the green.  Those trees blocked access to one of the greenside bunkers, blocked egress from another bunker and two were at the back of the green which abuts a thirty foot high ridge, so the trees would not only cast shade on the green, they would occasionally prevent a shot from going down the hill.  Now, the first green has an infinity look and the natural hazards are in play while the vertically growing hazards have been removed.

[Andrew Lewis]

To offer a preview of the changes, a couple "before" and "after" views of 1.  Note that the "before" photos are courtesy of Phil McDade's thread.


Before:  from just past the fairway bunker on the right, around 160 yards out from the green





After:  from in front and to the right (ie, into the rough line) from where the "before" photo was taken

[Andrew Lewis]

Before:  from the right side of the fairway around 75 yards out





And after, from the same general location

[Joe Hellrung]

One thing I saw at East Lake that was pretty cool:  sell fabricated pieces of wood from trees felled around the course in the pro-shop.  At East Lake they sell wood bowls made from a tree that was taken out, and you could just as easily do coasters, candle-sticks, etc.

Rather than sell someone a plaque with a picture of the stump, why not sell them a nice set of bowls/cutting board/coasters made from a tree that they financed the removal of? 

[Andrew Lewis]

The "after" photos in my earlier posts should now be working...

[Brian Finn]

...

[Sean_A]

Before:  from the right side of the fairway around 75 yards out





And after, from the same general location

Wow!  Was there a sunlight issue for this green?  Or maybe the green is a skyliner from the right angle?  I like space to play the game as much as the next guy, but one or two of those rear trees could look quite nice behind the green.  Well showcased excellent specimens in the right spots add a visual flavour to courses which is unique.

Ciao

[Terry Lavin]

It's a skyliner atop a thirty foot high ridge. Five of the front nine holes are designed around the ridge, which had become very cluttered looking by overplanting of trees. The ridge bisects the front nine from east to west and now there are multiple spots where one can see the entire ridge, including another skyline green at number five.  I'll acknowledge that the after pics are visually jarring but that's mostly due to the stark February landscape in Chicago. It'll look great come spring and summer.

[Sean_A]

Terry


I assume its a skyliner from further back in the fairway?  The photo above doesn't show a skyliner.


Ciao

[Terry Lavin]

Terry


I assume its a skyliner from further back in the fairway?  The photo above doesn't show a skyliner.

I guess by your definition it's not a skyliner, because you'll still see the tops of some trees that are located 40 or so yards behind the green.  We're looking for an infinity look, but in order to be truly skyline, I suppose we'd have to cut down dozens more trees that are way, way, out of play and Prichard and Klein didn't indicate any real appetite for that sort of clear-cutting.


Ciao

[Sean_A]

Terry


Well, it is a lot of money to spend in creating a look that many will need pointed out to them!  If the trees weren't removed for grass growing purposes, with trees in the background anyway, I don't see the need for cutting all the immediate trees behind the green if the skyline look isn't achieved anyhow...they looked to be nice trees.  To each is own I guess...all stumps aren't equal 


Ciao

[Justin VanLanduit]

The photos are fantastic!  Haven't played there since the Illinois AM Championship; consider me in for the July 11th event.  We just wrapped up grinding stumps here at Briarwood other wise we could have gotten your name on one; sure it wouldn't be the right one though.  We are approaching our removals similar to you guys;
1.) dead/diseased
2.) hazardous
3.) negative turf growth
4.) trees affecting playability
5.) thinning heavily populated stands


Slow but sure process but we've made some awesome progress over the last 3 years.  Look forward to seeing the progress there!

[Mark McKeever]

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.

Terry,


I may have to come out and visit Colbert around this date..   

[J_ Crisham]

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.

Terry,


I may have to come out and visit Colbert around this date..   

Hmmmm, that sounds like a bad week for the liver!:)

[Scott McWethy]

Not trying to hijack this thread but just saw our very own Terry Lavin on the show Check, Please! on WTTW in Chicago.  Very nice job Terry and loved your recommendation. 

[Terry Lavin]

Not trying to hijack this thread but just saw our very own Terry Lavin on the show Check, Please! on WTTW in Chicago.  Very nice job Terry and loved your recommendation.

Nothing worse than seeing your own corpulent countenance on television for a half hour. Almost makes me pine for the treadmill. Almost.

[John McCarthy]

What restaurant?

[Terry Lavin]

Chicago Cut Steakhouse.

[Marty Bonnar]

The wonders of the inter web:


http://video.wttw.com/video/2365953577/


Enjoy!
F.

[David_Moorhead]

I had the chance to play Beverly yesterday in an outing and was really impressed by the tree removal work. While several holes felt much more open, the tree removal around the first green was the most noticeable and impresssive change. The "infinity-esque" green made a formerly ho-hum opener stand out. Great work. Hope the members love the changes. 

[Tim Martin]

Chicago Cut Steakhouse.

I watched until the Judge recommended Chicken Piccata.

[Terry Lavin]

Chicago Cut Steakhouse.

I watched until the Judge recommended Chicken Piccata.

That's a good one.

As for the tree removal, we have had a very positive reaction from the overwhelming majority of members and guests.  Like every other tree removal project I've been involved in, there are some ardent tree huggers who argue based on their emotional attachment to the corridor look, but they are a bit of an endangered species, as golfers get exposed to thoughtful tree whacking at courses that undergo restoration or renovation. 

I love the smell of sawdust in the morning, it smells like victory!