Buckthorn Removal Project
The Mens Club has been working since the winter of 2011 to remove Buckthorn from the golf course. With the 2021 project underway, we are in our 10th year of work .
Buckthorn is a very invasive plant/tree in our area. Our goal is to eradiacte it from the golf course. Where we encounter it most is on the berms along 14, 16, 17 and 18.
Here are some articles and presentations on what's so bad about it:
- What is Buckthorn
- Why Invasive Buckthorn is bad for your yard, the environment (Chicago Tribune 5-13-21)
- Invasive Plant Webinar (Go Green Wilmette): discussion of Buckthorn removal at the Chicago Bontanical Garden and Canal Shores Golf Course.
Here is the chronology of the Buckthorn Removal Project by Year (highlighted areas have descriptions and pictures linked):
2021: Focus is on the tees and greens:
- 17 green and 17 tee ( black and Blue tees and along the white tees)
- 14 green
- 16 berm left and near green
- 18 near green
2020: the Year of Covid; no work was completed
2019:
2018:
2017:
The early years focused on the berms around the course (holes 18, 17,16 and 14). Here is what it looked like when we started:
| Top: 17th tee Middle: Along 17 | Top: Workers on 16 Below: Along 18 | |
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In the winter of 2017, our focus was to trim all the trees on the course up to around 6 feet (to allow mowers easier access as well as allow more sun and wind on the course).
This is the area left of the 2nd fairway (on the hill) :
and the area between the 10th green and 11th tee (during work and after)
