| Monthly Feature
Hosted By: |
|
Bob Farren,
CGCS, Director of Grounds and Golf Course Management for Pinehurst
Resort and Country Club |
I continue to be impressed with how our industry has grown and
changed over the span of years that I have been involved. I have
been a GCSAA Member for 29 years. My father was also a superintendent,
so I have been a part of the turf industry for my entire life. If
anyone would have tried to convince my father or me that someday
we would be working side by side with organizations like the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife, Audubon International, the U.S. Air Force, the
Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, I feel we would have collectively said that even though
it is a nice thought we have a long way to go before we can achieve
that type of respect and recognition. Just a brief search in the
Green Links archives will show that not only are we working with
these organizations now, but we are also being recognized by them
for the contributions we are making in the environmental community.
Our team at Pinehurst was very proud to have been recognized by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service as the first private landowner
partner in their “Safe Harbor Program” for endangered
species. We were subsequently recognized by the GCSAA with the Presidents
Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2007.
Our feature story this month is yet another example of a team of
professionals going the extra step and doing the right thing to
preserve and protect the beauty of nature with the added bonus of
enjoying national recognition. My good friend and colleague Michael
Fabrizio, CGCS, Director of Grounds and Golf Course Maintenance
for the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina shares
his fascinating story of moving some enormous trees in order to
develop two spectacular golf courses. I have always been told they
really do things big in Texas. This story will support the fact
that people from Texas can certainly move some very big trees. Moving
a tree with a 14 foot root ball may sound like a tall Texas tale,
but Mike will show you pictures to prove it.
Michael and the team at the Daniel Island Company were recognized
by the National Arbor Day Foundation’s “Building with
Trees Award of Excellence” in 2003 and 2007 becoming the only
developer to win their award more that one time.
If you are compelled to share an environmental case study, we would
love to hear from you. Your completed case study will earn you 0.25
service points. If you have any questions feel free to contact me
at bob.farren@pinehurst.com
or Mark Johnson at mjohnson@gcsaa.org. |
| August's
Guest: |
|
Jeffrey
J. Elliott, ASLA
Senior
Project Manager - Land Planner
Daniel Island Company |
Located within the City of Charleston, Daniel Island is a 4,000-acre
island town featuring distinctive neighborhoods with a mix of home
styles and landscaped streets with sidewalks that encourage leisurely
social interaction. In addition to nationally recognized golf, tennis
and soccer facilities, Daniel Island’s growing collection
of amenities includes all of the essential components of a small
town – schools, churches, medical offices, restaurants, boutiques,
a modern supermarket and more. Access to hundreds of acres of parks;
23 miles of rivers and creeks with docks and boat ramps; bicycle
and jogging paths; and a private in-town country club provide Daniel
Island residents with a myriad of recreational options.
One of the recreational jewels is the Daniel Island Club’s
Ralston Creek Course, which was chosen as one of only four recipients
of the National Arbor Day Foundation’s 2007 “Building
with Trees Award of Excellence.” The award recognized the
efforts of The Daniel Island Company to protect and preserve trees
during design and construction of the course, which opened in 2006.
The Daniel Island Company is the only developer in the foundation’s
history that has won a “Building with Trees Award of Excellence”
more than one time. The Daniel Island Club’s Beresford Creek
Course, which was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2000, won
the award in 2003.
Criteria for the Arbor Day award include:
- creativity and attention to protecting trees during planning,
design and construction
- planting and providing for long-term tree care
- demonstrating a commitment to tree protection by having a certified
tree-care professional on the development team
- taking inventory of existing trees and using information to
help preserve trees
- adherence to tree protection goals throughout the construction
process.
The developer and golf course architect Rees Jones began working
two years before construction started on Ralston Creek to plan a
course routing that would impact the minimum number of trees.
Once construction was underway, crews transplanted 42 oak trees
and approximately 100 trees to other parts of the course. Some of
the oaks were as large as 31 inches in diameter, requiring one of
the nation’s largest tree spades to aid in the transplanting
process. Transplanting and saving the trees significantly adds to
the South Carolina Low country character and aesthetic of the course.
The wide variety of trees transplanted ensures the long-term protection
of its natural beauty. Simply put, the trees are an investment in
the quality of life that will pay dividends for generations of players
and island residents to come. |
