(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A south suburban golf course that recently qualified as an arboretum has begun a tree dedication program.
Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood recently qualified as a Level One arboretum with nearly 3,000 trees, including more than 100 varieties.
Now, according to general manager Bob Carpenter, Ravisloe is allowing people to dedicate individual trees for $100.
“For a $100 donation to either the Homewood Science Center or to the South Suburban Humane Society, we’ll put a plaque honoring that dedication,” he says.
The tree dedication program actually costs the golf course money. Carpenter says the donation money all goes to the charities involved. Ravisloe pays for the plaques that are going on the trees.
People are dedicating trees to family members, golf buddies, pets and businesses.
“A couple of golfers that have played here for a long time and they’ve had a friend or a member of their foursome pass away and what was their favorite hole or whatever and they go out and they want to dedicate a tree to that person on that hole.”
Of the more than 100 varieties of trees at the golf course in Homewood, there are hundreds of Siberian elms, silver maple and green ash trees.
Carpenter says that, back in 1980, when the course was a private country club, members hired a tree expert to identify and count every tree. There turned out to be about 2,200 trees.
When Claude Gendreau bought the course in 2008, he added about 600 more trees.
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