Some last notes on the Kirchner tree

Well it's been over a week and the majority of the tree is now down on the ground.  We have moved most of the wood to the bottom of the hill for post processing.  In doing so I took this picture of the largest section of the trunk.

The arborist and I started counting rings to see if we could determine it's age.  We both arrived at the 120-125 year age for this white oak.  More interesting is the cyclical growing nature of large trees when you see inside.  This particular specimen shows a robust growth for the first 45-50 years.  Then a dramatic 10 year slow down.  This can be due to climate, pests and disease, or sometimes surrounding shade from other trees.  After that period it again grew rapidly for another 25 years which it then again slowed for about 8 years.

The last years of it's existence the growth was robust and fairly impressive for a tree that size.  As I noted in an earlier post, we had commented on how good the tree looked at then end of this year, full growth with no tip die back.

Anyway, for you who have not seen the area, here are a few pictures of what it now looks like on 13.  In the coming weeks we will begin to dismantle the wall and after the stump is ground begin to reshape the area to prepare for some sod while we determine whats next for both the tree and the surrounding area.  A sad way to end 2013 indeed.

From 125 yards out

From 70 yards out

Kirchner Tree Update

As many members may have seen, the Kirchner Tree is now partially down and moved.  This process was slow and deliberate as we needed the skill of our arborists to climb and detach many limbs that presented issues before the bulk of the work could continue.  The rest of the tree will be brought down in the next few weeks.

Many have asked what's to become of this tree and the wood.  The short answer is we don't know.  Some has been cut into firewood.  Other sections are now at the bottom of the hill to see if we can get a portable saw mill in and at least cut it into some form of lumber.   Next that wood would have to be dried and stored to get the moisture content to a point it is workable

We are not woodworkers, but after contacting several tradesmen, the wood of white oaks is good for outdoor use.  Unfortunately most wood workers are not overly fond of this wood as it is very hard on tools and tends to shrink and expand at different rates making it a hard process for machining.  Right now our goal is to remove the tree.  Store pieces large enough to make it feasible for a portable mill to come to the site and reduce the logs to useable pieces.

Once this process is complete then we will leave it to the membership to determine if there are items that would be desirable to be made from this lumber.  We do not know the costs involved in making all the items I have heard mentioned (pens, putters, tables, benches, etc) , we only control the costs of getting the tree on the ground and out of harms way.  Stay tuned for the next step when we attempt to have the tree milled.

As for what will next occupy that spot, nothing can replace that majestic tree, most likely we will let a season pass and see what direction we should take.

Sad News

We lost a landmark today in the recent ice storm, the Kirchner tree, the large beautiful white oak behind the 13th green has fallen.  Luckily no one was injured as we had several staff riding around the course to inspect the damage from fallen limbs when all of a sudden a loud noise was heard across the course.  The tree split in half and fell towards the 14th green.   We do not believe the rest of the tree is salvageable but will evaluate once we can get better access.

Trevor showing some perspective on it's size

from the 14th tee side

View from 13th green

The damage around the course is significant and will take all our resources several days to open up just the paths, much less the course.  Safety will be our main concern in the coming days as tree limbs have come down around us as we assess the damage.

Walk bridge from 8 Green to 9th tee

The walking bridge that carries members from the 8th green to the 9th the will be closed until further notice.  The planks were scheduled for repair this fall, as many had become weak and loose.  We have been studying this bridge for some time as we have pilings that are starting to deteriorate to the point they not longer support the railing.  The walking planks are a special cut of lumber that is 2" dimensional thickness ( not standard 2x4) that we must special order, same for the bridges on 15.

We had started the replacement of the treads when it became apparent the supporting runners for the treads have rotted away.  So much so that we are unable to secure the new treads to the runners.  At this time we are looking at options and evaluating the best move forward.  Until we consult someone better suited for this task, we will have this bridge closed to traffic.

I will continue to update this site for information on resolutions and any progress towards re-opening.

A runner that supports the walking  treads

Irrigation Wrap up

Well it's been quite a year regarding all the work involved with the irrigation system.  As we approach the final stages, though it really never is final, we want to provide an update to the project.

We constructed two new pump houses, installed two new pump stations,  buried over 20 miles of pipe and wire and placed 1500 sprinklers to provide quality controlled coverage using new advanced software accessible by phone or tablet.  We have integrated the weather stations to adjust the system if we receive rainfall during the irrigation cycles.  We finished on time and better than budget, with no downtime to the play on the course.  The new system performed well as we learned all the nuances of it's operation.

Speaking of which, this process will be a continual education over several years as we start to dial in the system, reducing wet areas and changing watering cycle times to optimize the best conditions for turf and players.  That said there have been some issues that are being actively resolved.

Most notable is the work being done to the sprinkler heads on the course at this time.  The manufacturer, Rainbird, found a part defect and worked proactively to replace all the defective parts in a timely manner.  I covered this process in a previous post, but at this time all work has been completed at no cost to us.  There are a few more things for our staff to do over the winter but we plan a smooth transition in the spring with everything being done behind the scenes.

In addition, we are working with Arlington county water department who supplies the water to ensure we are receiving adequate flow into the system.  We based our designs on details provided by the county and as of this date have not reached those thresholds.  We continue to actively work this issue, but as you can imagine there are many interests on the county side to work with and around.  These issues do not have a direct effect on playability or disruption to play.  They do affect the green staffs ability to apply water in a more timely manner to allow the full flexibility of the system.  Some work has been done by the county to address the problem, but it continues to be a work in progress

Anytime you manage a project of this size and scope there are issues, but fortunately ours are relatively minor and the long term infrastructure benefits are well worth the investment.

8th Hole ( shown watering only the left side rough, no fairway water)