The Cottage Bar Story



Stack of trees on the 4th hole ready for chipping

One of my duties during the Winter of 2004/2005 was to monitor the logging operation for the clearing of the golf course. My task was to flag the boundaries of the property and to keep the logging moving forward. It was a very interesting time because I was able to see golf holes created from forest to finished product.                      

 

Loggers in 15th Seep

The timber was of low value for it's potential for lumber. Much of the property was logged in the 1970's leaving very young trees. Most of the trees were chipped up to be used in the bio-fuel industry. However, there were pockets of mature trees in areas such as gully's or steep slopes. These areas held 50-80 year old trees. The trees were most likely not taken during the initial logging due to the rough terrain. One of these areas is the gully or "seep" that you hit over on the tee shot for the 15th hole. In this seep there were very mature white ash and yellow birch.

   

Out of respect for the land, we chose to keep the trees for lumber and not let the logger take them. After some negotiating with the logger they agreed to drop them and place them out of the way for us to use. The motivation to keep the trees was focused on bringing the natural world inside. Using the lumber harvested from the property in the Cottage was one way of connecting things together.

 

Portable Saw Mill on the Golf Course

 

After we secured the trees, I contacted a local portable sawmill operator. I found Woodchuck Milling out of Johnson, VT. Woodchuck Milling showed up on site and we set up shop on the 18th hole. After the trees were milled we needed to get the fresh cut lumber dried quickly or a fungus would set in and ruin the wood. The lumber was trucked to Steve's Kiln Drying in Wolcott, VT. After being dried, the lumber was trucked back and stored on-site for two years.  



The Cottage Bar



The final home for this lumber was the Cottage bar. Local furniture maker Whit Hartt from Elmore, VT was chosen to build the bar with our wood. We are proud of Whit's work and the effort that went into creating this wonderful piece of furniture. Next time you are in the Cottage, take some time to enjoy the beautiful grain in the home grown wood from the golf course.