If A Tree Falls On A Golf Course And No One Is Around To Hear It...

Then it probably still made a sound, most likely the sound of the bentgrass on 16 green being crushed.  While the storm on Thursday evening didn't really produce very strong winds, apparently the large cottonwood just to the left of 16 green was ready to go. 

Not fun to come into on a Friday morning....

Making fast work with a freshly sharpened saw.

Although a sharp saw still can't get through the last piece.  I actually
think it looks like a piece of art now.

I thought it would be fun to use the trunk pieces to make some seats
around the fire pit. 

Unfortunately, I don't think this will be an isolated incident in the coming years.  Cottonwoods are of course very fast growing trees, which is why they were probably planted here in the first place.  However, fast growing trees also tend to be very weak also.  Cottonwoods also usually have a lot of codominant, branching trunks, making the trees even weaker and more prone to decay. 

If only the next wind storm knocks over a few of those Cottonwoods to the left of 14 tee at least I know Gunner will be the first one out there to help us clean them up!