Membership Involvement

Some past changes…the good

• Short game area• Changes to 2– Removal of trees opened up views– Green left in tact

• Changes to 4– Removal of trees for more light– Green left in tact

• Changes to 10– Removal of trees opened up views– Green left in tact

Discussion points

• Maintain course at high country club levels• Disapproval of recent changes (3, 14, 17)• Dislike of bunker style, placement• Delay changes to 8 and 9 (and 16)• Governance and communication• Create/distribute tree management plan

Maintaining the course• Set minimum standards for maintenance

– (http://www.clubresourcesinternational.com/media/59050/gc%20maintenance%20handbook.pdf)

• Staff and invest to meet those standards• Consider cost/quality of hand watering greens while

investigating new irrigation system• New bunkers still in bad shape, watered, not raked,

inconsistent sand and condition, more difficult to maintain• Too many barren areas• Tree stumps and fallen trees unfinished• Greens are bumpy much longer than other courses after

aeration• Inconsistent course green conditions, practice greens rarely

reflect actual playing surfaces– http://www.gcga.org/documents/speeds_slopes_locations.pdf

Disapproval of recent changes

• Drastic changes to course character• Overly expanded greens• Clear cutting of all trees from green surrounds• Odd shaped bunkers, more difficult to maintain– Many are too steep, too many “fingers”

• Key bunkers removed, moved– Behind 3, spread of left right bunkers– Right of 14– Left of 17

• Opened views to poorly maintained areas

Drastic changes and communication

• The Greens Committee – communicate proposed changes to membership before board

• Stewardship - It has taken 100 years for Sequoyah to develop, we should protect it from permanent drastic changes without broad approval

• At 6000 yards there is little to protect the course other than small sloped fast greens and the strategic tree

• Practically all members here joined a tree lined course that separated holes visually, framed holes, added protection, tightened fairways and tee shots, and added beautiful scenery, with small fast greens

1922: Greens rebuilt and golf course "nines" switched

Create tree management plan

• Some trees must go• There was overplanting• Some trees should stay• Some new trees should be planted• Reuse natural resources when possible (benches,

sell logs or chips, firewood for members, holders for sand bottles)

• Resources– http://www.golfcoursearboristtreeservice.com/– http://cagwin.com/services/treecare_golf.html– http://www.usga.org/course_care/articles/management/trees/Man-s-Friend-or-Golf-s-Enemy-/

1923: Golf course tree planting project

What is the master plan?

• Was the intent of these last changes to make the course easier?

• How was it approved that we would alter the character of the course?

3 in the 20’s

3 early 2000’s

3 then

3 now3 now

3 compare

3 then

5 then

5 now5 now

5 compare

14 then

14 now14 now

14 compare

14 then

14 now14 now

14 compare

17 tee shot

17 green

17 then

17 now

17 compare

Course maintenance

• It’s generally been good• But it should be better

Right of 4

Right of 4

Back to 5 tee

Front of 5

Womens Invitational #5

Right of 13

14

Back of 14

14

14

Right of 14

Left of 15

15 tee then

15 tee now

15 compare

16 tee to 14

Right of 16

Between 16, 17

View from 17 tee

Left of 17 tee

Left of 17

Difficult maintenance

Large barren areas