Trees/Emerald Ash Borer

With the Emerald Ash Borer going through Iowa right now, we're trying to be proactive before it really becomes a problem here at BHCC. Our plan with the Ash trees that we have on the property is to let nature play it's course and let the trees die out. In the meantime, you will notice us transplanting newer, younger trees mixed in with the larger groups of Ash trees. This past Spring, we were able to transplant 18 new hardwoods onto the course, and last week we put out 23 more. All of the new trees put in this past spring were purchased from Wapsie Pines and the trees that we put in last week came from our tree nursery here at BHCC.

The picture below is the left side of the fairway trap on 6. You'll notice the new trees mixed in with the older Ash trees. I've been marking the Ash trees on the course with a small, white dash of paint about a foot off the ground. There are five Ash trees in this particular spot that will have to come down in the next couple of years. By moving the new trees in, it will hopefully give them time to mature and develop while the Ash trees die out and have to be removed. 

We added two maples on the left and the right side of 1 fairway, 2 oaks and a locust on the right side of 2 fairway (up towards the red tee on 3), and 4 maples between 3 and 16 fairways. The left side of 6 got 8 new trees (3 maples, 3 locusts, and 2 oaks). And 3 new trees on the left side of 11 (2 maples and a locust).
You might notice a few trees on the course that are marked with an X at the base. These are trees that are planned to be removed in the near future. The trees with the white dashes at the base are just marked as Ash trees, not to be removed until they start declining.

Below is a great example of what most of the maples will look like in the Fall, should be some great color!