Take a break Paul; you outlasted that poplar

Are you sure those trees have to go? Heck, Paul Donley is older than they are and he's still standing.

The Alexandria Golf Course opened today. The superintendent, Donnacha O'Connor, took members of the greens committee, Paul Donley and Tom Obert, on a tour of the course. This august event triggered a terse posting to the internet with these photographs to document it. The poplar trees on the course, planted about the time we boomers were getting ready to graduate, are rapidly coming to the end of their normal life span - Donnacha now spends most winters culling dead and dying trees.

"This is changing the look of the course - whether or not for the better is a matter of personal opinion but dead trees have to be removed," Obert asserted, thereby taking a uncharacteristically middle of the road position on the thorny issue.