CARMEL, Ind. — Greg Chalas has been a member at Crooked Stick Golf Club for about two years. He's played the game longer, if his putting stroke is any indication.

He said his wife, Amanda Weiss Chalas, began playing about a year ago. When she gets to Crooked Stick's sixth hole — a par 3 that is considered the course's signature hole — she often hits her tee shot near a chinquapin oak tree in front and to the right of the green. But about a week ago, she made birdie on the hole for the first time.

To celebrate, they snapped a picture of themselves with the chinquapin oak in the frame. The tree is at least 150 years old, its roots planted long before Peter and Alice Dye designed the revered course. Long before John Daly shot 12 under par in 1991 to win the PGA Championship on the course. Long before the two BMW Championships at Crooked Stick has hosted since 2012.

The tree was prehistoric compared to the 54-year-old course it sat on. On Tuesday afternoon, the tree died.

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Severe weather caused the decaying, historic tree to break and fall to the ground. Course staff worked quickly to clear the debris, and the course reopened nine hours later.

It's irreplaceable, said Tony Pancake, Crooked Stick's director of golf. No other tree on the course stands as perfectly broccoli-shaped or as wide.

"I went around the corner, and my heart sank," Pancake said. "That tree is just such an important part of the sixth hole."

"It was a beautiful, specimen tree that was integral to not only (hole) six, but also the (hole) seven tee shot," said Jake Gargasz, the Crooked Stick golf course superintendent. "It was pretty disgusting to see it, just because it's such an old tree. You hate to see anything happen to such a specimen tree."

Without it, hole six looks naked, Chalas said.

Pancake said he thinks the hole may be more difficult now that the tree is gone.

"When the tree was there, and a ball was hit to the right, the ball would hit the tree and drop down. Now, those balls are going to go into the lake in front of the green," he said.

But while the sixth hole may become harder, Pancake said the seventh hole may get easier. The tree used to block part of the seventh hole's tee shot, but that impediment is gone.

Pancake said it has not been decided whether the tree will be replaced, but the club is talking about ways to memorialize the tree for its members. He brought up turning its remaining wood into benches, plaques, a table or tournament trophies.

"That tree meant so much to our members," he said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Andrew Clark at andrew.clark@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Clarky_Tweets.