They are very likely the exit holes made by the adult round headed apple borer. The larva have been in your tree a year or two. initially eating cambium near ground level and then moving down into roots, the adult beetle has now chewed up and out. The damage from that round is done. Inspect the tree and any other apples from soil level up about 2 feet, with greatest attention to the first 10". You want to look for any frass(wood dust), sunken bark, or oozy weeping(especially aer prolonged rain). These are indicators of the next generation of larva eating at the tree....cut open to outer bark and you will find brown or yellowing voids....follow thes until you find the larva, they may be small. So long as your chasing the damaged areas don't worry about how much bark your cutting away, try not excavate into live healthy green cambium. If you find one there are likely to be more. Check again in about a month. White paint on the bark reportedly deters the adult beetles from egg laying....I don't buy that, but it does make it much easier to see the early signs of larva and get them before they do too much damage.....which can be extensive on young trees. Older trees with thick bark have less of a problem.

They are where low limbs were pruned off by the nursery. Don't worry about it. Scott

They are woodpeckers and could be just about any species of them. I had many more holes in a Korean pine a few years ago and in different places on all sides and heights of the trunk. I decided to cover all the areas with Doc Farwell's tree seal & it worked on the assumption that whichever woodpecker was attracted to that (and a Pinus densiflora was also struck) ...... that they would not care for the taste of the product. I used DF's grafting seal because that's what I had on my shelf. There are tree sealants made by Doc Farwell's, as well. I'd paint a swath 6" above and below those holes should you choose my route. Normally, sealants are discouraged but there was nothing else I could come up with. Dax

Sorry to see that - especially on such a well established tree. We've had a few things scalded/burned badly in the Texas sun, but with those the damage was clearly terminal pretty quickly. Don't know of much you can do to treat the burn other than keeping the tree hydrated and as healthy as possible while it tries to heal itself. I have no idea on how likely yours will be able to bounce back; but have certainly seen photos of much worse. I'd be tempted to add some form of shade, though haven't found it confirmed anywhere that this will help promote healing or prevent further damage after a scald/burn has already occurred. If nobody offers better advice here, you might check with your county agent or a well recommended arborist.