The Ash Trees of Camelot

As many of you are aware, the Ash tree population is on a rapid decline all over the world due to the Emerald Ash Borer.

The ash borer is a small green beetle native to Asia and Eastern Russia.  It was first discovered in America in 2002.  It is believed that it was brought to America in ash wood that was used in shipping materials.

The larve of the ash borer excavate tunnels in the trees looking for food.  By doing this they disrupt the flow of water and nutrients in the tree, causing it to starve and eventually die.  Trees that are attacked by the ash borer usually die within 1-3 years.

Chances are you have seen many infected ash trees around Ottawa as the city can not keep up with the removal process.  There are very strict guidelines the city must follow when removing these trees as they do not want spread the beetle anymore.

Here at Camelot we have not been spared by the ash borer.  It has become very evident over this winter that many of our ash trees are infected and on their last leg.  It is possible that they will still bloom this year but the damage has been done.  Bark has fallen off many of the infected trees, leaving them to stick out like a sore thumb.

Unfortunately we do have 2 areas on our property that consist of a lot of ash trees.

• The front entrance to the club on Quigley Hill Rd
• The tee complex at 2

While there are many other groups of ash trees around the property, these are the two biggest.

Over the next year these areas could become asthetically unpleasing and a plan will have to be put in place.  Discussion at the greens committee level will take place once we have a better idea of where we stand when they bloom, or don't.

As mentioned above, there are many more ash trees around the property that have become infected and will need to be dealt with.

At this time our mandate for removal is very simple.  Any ash tree that poses a safety concern to any golfer or worker will be removed as soon as possible.  A perfect example of this is the large ash tree located at the back of 3 Blue tee.  We can not have "dead" trees beside tee decks or cart paths as they are not safe and pose major liability issues.

As stated above, we should know more in the next month as the trees start to break winter dormancy. I will keep all members fully informed about this situation.

Please follow me on twitter @camelotturf for more consistent updates.

On a positive note, the snow is slowly residing and what we are seeing does look promising.  Stay tuned for a course condition update in the next week or so.