Winnetka Men's Club Spring Banquet this Wednesday at the Happ Inn, 6pm gathering and 7pm dinner AND Buckthorn Removal Program spearheaded by our very own WMC long time member Pat Dowdle!!!

Winnetka Men's Club - Spring Banquet. Rumor of two special guests to speak in addition to 'Henry the Superintendent' giving his annual State of the Greens (and this year, Fairways!) Address. 

 WMC long time member Pat Dowdle
spearheads the "Buckthorn Removal Program" at Winnetka Golf Club this past winter! Please read on...

Hole #14 with Buckthorn removed leaving only the large trees for future removal.

 Pat Dowdle has a seemingly lifelong aversion to the European Buckthorn plant that has become a noxious woody weed in Illinois. He approached staff last fall with a commitment from several volunteers. Did I say volunteers? MORE LIKE FIRST CLASS LOGGERS! Pat and his troop of nineteen (19) Winnetka Men's Club members donated dozens and dozens of hours removing this weedy plant from the dike surrounding the course. Armed with professional grade lopping shears they would cut the buckthorn  and then haul it to a prearranged staging area for the maintenance staff to come around in winter and grind up in a chipper. They initiated removal over the Thanksgiving weekend. It snowballed (pun intended) over winter as the members could envision the improved benefit of cleaning up the dike. Staff has already overseeded all barren areas that were 'so densely shaded no grass would grow'. Ultimately the goal is to remove 98% of the trees from all four holes (#14-16-17-18) that have the flood protection dike. A contractor would do the larger more dangerous removals with staff. Once the dike can be cleaned up and there is turfgrass vegetation on both sides then staff would be able to 'mow' the dike thus improve playability and pace. At this point in time, the longer more naturalized grass is the most beneficial to providing integrity to the dike. By the Winnetka Men's Club - Buckthorn Removal Program volunteering their time and efforts this reduces the seedbank of this nasty tree and greatly helps keep down the cost of contracted and staff work. On behalf of the entire Winnetka Park District and myself I would like to formally recognize all nineteen individuals for their huge time commitment and being extremely generous individuals who as a team accomplished the unimaginable! Job well-done, THANK YOU...

1. Pat Dowdle
2. Micky Archambault
3. Dave Smith
4. Jim Neer
5. Dave Skrodzki
6. Tom Davis
7. Paul Manley
8. John Llewellyn
9. Steve McElroy
10. Dave Schafer
11. Bill Lawrence
12. Bob Gibson
13. Mike Fonda
14. Harold Nations
15. Paul Van Zuiden
16. Tom Horner
17. Paul Lively
18. John McGowan
19. Bill Falland

Staff member Matt Bukovac at the #18 Tee site.

#18 tee close-up. Please note the amount of Buckthorn in just one of numerous plies. EACH branch was individually cut, removed and hauled to these staging sites.

Staff member Bukovac is Tebow-ing the Men's Club brush pile at #17 Tee.

This staging area is along the #17 Pond. Unbelievable amount of brush is removed from #17 Tee complex.

#17 Dike this spring.

Hole #17.