Tree Replacement Program

Each tag starts with the number 50, which
is an area number designated for the golf course.
Each area of campus has its own unique #.
The second numbers represent the year it was
ID'd or planted and the final number is the
inventory number for the golf course

Since arriving just before summer in 2015, we have been aggressively removing dead and diseased trees and replacing them with new varieties in better locations.  My predecessor, Mike Rayman, began the process years before and deserves tremendous credit for his efforts.  We also owe thanks to our University Grounds department and their tree specialists.  Many years prior to my arrival at Weibring GC, they began planting/transplanting trees into a little used space adjacent to the golf course. We refer to this area as the tree nursery (located just west of #3 tee box) and in total we transplanted 35 trees into the golf course.  Dr. Kopsell and a number of his horticulture students here at ISU have been tremendously helpful in identifying our trees, rating their health, and suggesting better replacements for diversity and quality.  You can see some of their work as you pass by the trees during your next round.  Every tree on the golf course was identified, GPS mapped, and tagged with an I.D. # as part of a campus wide inventory/ arboretum.  Each tag also provides the common name, scientific species name (includes the genus and specific epithet), and the family the tree belongs within.

60" spade transplanting tree into area left of 15. Note the ash tree
in foreground that is thin and was eventually removed

We did not have input into the types of trees located within the nursery, so we chose locations for those trees based on the micro-environment each specific variety prefers and the needs of the golf course.  For example, we placed the large "park-style" trees, such as Oaks, into areas with spacious openings. The Bur Oaks were used in areas we lost Ash Trees to the Emerald Ash Borer, such as Hole #15. Bur Oaks can become very large and are not suitable for confined spaces such as a home landscapes, but will protect the left side of #15 quite well with a strategic planting just past the typical landing zone of most players.  

Staging area upon receiving an order of
ball and burlapped trees

Trees that were purchased were chosen for specific troubled locations.  In addition to the loss of trees due to Emerald Ash Borer, we have also suffered a slow decline in quality trees because of poor planting location.  This is not an indictment on the stewards of the course over the 5+ decades of its existence, because the course was built into a farm field and it was necessary to find as many fast growing trees at reasonable prices to establish framing of the golf course.  With an opportunity to have patience and make an educated choice in tree selection, the "right tree, in the right place" approach was taken. I turned to my Manual of Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr (a book I detested during times as an undergrad, but use more than any other textbook since becoming a superintendent) and began choosing specific trees for specific areas of the golf course.  

Many of our trouble areas were in wet locations.  The floodway along #5 fairway and the low areas responsible for surface drainage across #2, 12, 7, and eventually across #16 fairway are areas we found most of our trouble.  In these areas, we chose trees that adapt to wet, sometimes water logged, soils.  Riverbirch, Bald Cypress, and Sycamore trees are varieties we chose for these areas. We also took advantage of this opportunity to increase our  species diversity of trees.  Based on recommendations from a student research project, we chose unique trees such as Kentucky Coffee Tree, Chinkapin Oak, Pink Flowering Cherry Tree, Tulip Tree, Swamp White Oak, Lacebark Elm, Black Hills Spruce, Vanderwolf Pine and Ginko.

In total we planted/ transplanted 80 trees into the golf course.  50 deciduous; 30 evergreens.  The most common species by quantity were: 11 Blue Spruce (all transplants from nursery), 7 Red Maples, 7 Bur Oaks, 7 Kentucky Coffee Tree, 6 White Pines, 6 Techy Arborvitae, and 5 Swamp White Oaks.  

WGC staff finishing a transplanted Oak tree.  Closes a gap left by
the removal of tree due to disease and degradation

So whats next?  Another aspect of the tree identification program was a rating of the health of our current trees.  During tagging, an assessment of each tree on a 1-5 rating scale was implemented.  5 being perfectly healthy specimen and 1 being poor quality and needs removed.  Based on these ratings we will proactively remove trees deemed unsafe and begin a pruning program to improve the health of others.  We plan to section off the golf course over a 4-5 year period and heavily prune each tree.  We will also continue to introduce a variety of tree species to continue diversification and replace any trees removed due to poor ratings.

Take a look at the tags if you find particular tree's characteristics interesting and contact me for more information about the tree, such as habitat, preferred environment, mature size, etc.  I am always happy to provide useful information.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!  Thanks for reading!!!

-Travis