Storm Signals

To some extent, no amount of preparation can help you escape what nature decides to unleash. But there are always lessons to be learned from its outbursts.

by Jamie L. Scheppers (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
September 2005
 

Editor’s Note: This story was scheduled and prepared before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Certainly the magnitude of that storm far exceeds the scale discussed in this article, which covers lessons of basic preparedness for the type of weather-related disruptions that more typically affect club operations. Our thoughts are with all who are dealing with the unprecedented destruction in the Gulf region.

Late in the afternoon on Saturday, August 20, a “microburst” storm materialized over Lake Erie and swept across northern Ohio. The cell didn’t produce tornadoes, but still generated wind speeds high enough to do serious damage. Heavy rains associated with the storm also caused flash flooding in various areas.

Directly in the path of this tiny but vicious storm cell was Lakewood Country Club in Westlake, Ohio. The following is an account of how the club’s course and grounds department teamed with other members of the management staff to respond to the storm—typical of hundreds that batter clubs and courses around the country each year—and coordinate efforts to resume operations as quickly as possible.

Early Warning

Lakewood’s Golf Course Superintendent, Jim Noel, noticed the storm forming and came in to the club to call off the fairway mowing scheduled for that evening. By the time he arrived, golfers were already being shepherded off the course. The club relies on a weather system to track storms and provide early warning when dangerous conditions approach. Two carts with handheld air horns warned golfers on both nines to call it a day and make their way to shelter. Due to this swift action, no one was injured in the storm.

After the storm passed after about 20 minutes, it was apparent that the damage was significant. But since rain continued at a slower rate for much of the remaining daylight, a full assessment wasn’t possible until the next morning. When management went back out at the break of dawn, they found that fairways and greens were not only strewn with branches and twigs, but that in some cases entire trees had fallen on what was a very mature property (the Tillinghast course dates back to 1921). It was obvious that the course wasn’t playable and that the club championship, scheduled for that day, would have to be postponed.

“I was in the ‘wow’ stage,” says Noel about his first impressions of the damage. “I’m in awe of how much force wind and water can have, and how so much damage could happen so fast.”

In all, between 65 and 70 trees either fell over at the hands of the storm or had been so seriously harmed that they would need to be removed. Upwards of 150 trees sustained visible damage. The fences surrounding the course were also damaged in a few areas, and the fence surrounding the tennis courts was severely damaged. There were also a few broken lamposts.

In addition to the good fortune of not having anyone hurt by the sudden and violent storm, none of the club’s buildings was damaged by the wind or the falling trees and branches. The clubhouse did have some wet carpet due to backed-up drains caused by the heavy rain, but the damage was minimal and did not require extensive repairs.

Clearing the Way

 

Very quickly, Noel decided his team’s first priority would be to clear the greens and fairways, so they could be mowed. If the grass was allowed to grow much longer, the task would become much more difficult, prolonging the cleanup efforts. After that, a secondary goal was to be able to reopen nine holes for play, and then all 18. So that meant cleanup efforts had to be done systematically, rather than at random.

To get the job done, grounds crews were brought in for extra long shifts and paid overtime. A local tree service was hired to bring in heavy equipment and deal with the larger trees, many of them fully mature beauties that topped 100 feet. One in particular, the club’s signature oak on Hole 14, had been a part of the course since its early days; an aerial shot from the 1950s shows it dominating the surrounding landscape even then. Noel estimates that the tree was about 150 feet tall and upwards of 70 years old. After it had fallen it became evident it wasn’t healthy—but before the storm, no one had any indication it was so vulnerable.

 

The club helped arrange tee times at other area courses for members who simply couldn’t go a week without swinging a club. And caddies who needed to make up for lost income pitched in to help the grounds crews with the manual labor.

Could It Have Been Prevented?

 

To some extent, nature can’t be tamed, and no amount of preparation can help you escape what it decides to unleash. But at the same time, it isn’t a hopeless battle. One thing that could have spared much of Lakewood’s damage is a tree management plan. Noel tried to get the club’s Board to approve one in the past, but at a cost of around $10,000, the Board was reluctant to approve such an expense. After all, nothing like this had ever happened at the club before and Noel, although not formally trained as an arborist, had picked up enough knowledge over the years to do a decent job of maintaining the club’s trees, in addition to its turf.

Each winter Noel goes through the course and removes trees that are obviously unhealthy and thins out others that are in need. Last year, in fact, Hole 8 received the royal treatment and its trees were extensively trimmed and thinned. During the August 20 storm, that hole sustained almost no damage. Coincidence? Hardly. When trees are thinned, the wind can pass through without dragging the foliage along with it.

But Noel, like most superintendents, does not have extensive training in tree maintenance. His focus is on turf grasses, and he simply does the best he can with the trees. That’s why he recognized the need for professional tree management. In the end, this storm will cost the club roughly twice as much as the tree maintenance program would have, and that’s after insurance pays for the great majority of the loss.

What Could Have Been Worse

 

Jim Noel can think of many things that would have exacerbated the situation further. People could have been injured, or there could have been structural damage on the property. One thing that helped was the storm’s timing. Had it been just a few weeks later, Noel would have had to try to recover with a much smaller crew, since many on his summer workforce would have returned to school. And now that nature has proven what it’s capable of, it’s much more likely that Lakewood’s Board will approve a tree management plan.

As for insurance, Lakewood’s General Manager, Brian Pizzimenti, believes the damage will almost all be covered, based on preliminary estimates. The club holds a comprehensive plan with a top-notch insurance agency that has a special golf division. The plan even included extra coverage in several optional areas, such as fences, that will come in handy for this particular claim.

Five days after the storm, Lakewood was able to open nine holes, and a day after that the entire course was back open for play. Of course, some fallen trees still remain, and it will likely take weeks for all the stumps to be ground down and final restorative changes to be made.

It’s still unclear what will fill the void left by Hole 14’s signature oak, but one thing is certain: The club will stick to its master plan for course changes. The Tillinghast course was renovated in the 2002-’03 offseason under the watchful eye of Stephen Kay, who specializes in restoring the famous architect’s courses. Great care will still be taken to ensure that, even including Mother Nature’s latest “touches,” the course will retain the integrity of the original design. C&RB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summing It Up

• The weather can’t always be anticipated, but consistent pruning and removal habits can minimize tree damage when the inevitable does strike.

• Prioritize cleanup efforts to minimize downtime and bring in extra crews if necessary.

• Keep track of the costs incurred from damage loss, cleanup and restoration efforts, and lost revenues.

• Put your pro to work arranging tee times at other clubs. Most clubs will have a “what goes around, comes around” attitude.

• Develop a tree management program and hire a professional arborist to consult on the project.

 

 

 

 

 

Arborists to the Rescue

Course superintendents are, for the most part, trained to manage a course’s turf, not its trees. For that job, it’s best to bring in the experts. With a thorough tree maintenance plan, it’s possible to extend the life of many trees and ensure optimal growth and design by prioritizing needs. At the same time, you may get some valuable advance notice about dangers posed by seemingly healthy trees that are actually in real peril.

One national service—Davey Resource Group—takes on the task of helping clubs keep tabs on their trees in three major steps. First, a comprehensive inventory of significant trees is recorded. Then each tree is assessed for its health and safety. Finally, this information is used to put together a personalized course plan that analyzes the collected data and recommends short- and long-term strategies for improving the course’s trees.

The finished master plan will included schedules for removal, fertilization, pruning, disease treatment and insect control. These areas are all prioritized. The benefits of such a plan include:

• Reduction of hazards and liability

• Increased safety

• Reduced tree/turf interaction

• Reduced maintenance costs

• Optimum screening and steerage of course play

• Proper identification of insects and pests and the correct treatments

• Allows the course superintendent to focus on the turf