Dear Member,

If you’ve played Church recently you may have noticed that a large limb had broken off the central Oak tree in the middle of the fourth fairway. The limb dropped during torrential rain and high winds.

Our expert arboriculturist consultant inspected the tree and concluded it can be saved but requires a heavy intervention. His recommendation was to significantly decrease the size of the aerial canopy/branches so that the weight is reduced, and the tree then made stable. Without this work the tree could topple completely in high winds and be lost altogether. He warned us it had to be a hard prune, seeing most of the aerial canopy removed.

We employed specialist tree surgeons to conduct the work – now completed this week – using a large chainsaw crane. It was a delicate job to grab, saw, and gently lower the limbs section by section so as not to damage the fairway. I include photos of the initial limb break and how the tree looks now after the pruning work.

It will take some years for the trimmed oak tree to regain growth and see a return to its shape and form. Although the work has temporarily reduced the visual quality of the tree, its long-term health and safe condition were the reasons we had to carry out this work.

Thank you for bearing with us while we worked to save and protect this magnificent tree.

John Lockyer
Director of Greens