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Ran Morrissett

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« on: June 23, 2001, 04:52:00 AM »
...under In My Opinion. In a concise manner, he carefully outlines the role that trees should and shouldn't play on a golf course.

Its timing could not be more relevant, having just seen five days of how sadly overgrown Southern Hills has become.

This article could serve as a real call to arms at clubs across the country and one thing is for sure: everyone should print it out and distribute it to each member of your Green Committee.

Cheers,


Ted_Sturges

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2001, 07:08:00 AM »
Great article.  Must reading for every green committee member.  For members of clubs which are designed by masters (like Ross' Broadmoor CC in Indy) this should be required reading.

TS


Michael Moore

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2001, 09:31:00 AM »
Wow.

That has to one of the most thorough pieces on architecture I have ever read.

Two years ago I thought trees were just something you saw on New England courses and tried to avoid. Thank you Mr. White III and to paraphrase Ross, "this site has never failed me."

I agree, the Southern Hills flyovers were a nightmare to behold.

Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

Mike_Young

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2001, 09:58:00 AM »
Great Article but how do you get it to print.  I have tried editing and everything but keep losing the right 1/2 of the page. The computer geek,Mike
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

Ran Morrissett

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2001, 10:04:00 AM »
Mike, If you print the page horizontally in landscape form as opposed to vertically, you'll be right.

William

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2001, 05:11:00 PM »
This paper really took some time and research. It was thorough, well written and should definately serve as a guide to clubs everywhere, not just links courses. Preservation of "old" courses does in fact entail losing many trees which are strategically misplaced(but who would know better unless they read this Tree Bible - they probably are just trying to help out).That is why people involved with courses, whether it be greens' committees, superintendants, or just members, should have knowledge of this. Can't copy it though.

JamieS

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2001, 11:59:00 AM »
Thank you for a wonderful and insightful article.
This should be required reading for green committee's, and superintendents throughout our entire region.
I have had it with hitting fairway and greenside bunker shots and worrying about the trees,overhanging limbs, etc. directly in my swingpath or line of play. This is obviously not what was originally intended.
I wish more courses would actually look at and study the Photos they have hanging up of their course from the Golden Years gone by.  This would certainly be an eye opener to most!

DWIII

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2001, 10:34:00 PM »
Many classic courses today have strategically improper trees in and around the playing areas. Rows of pines are utilized too often to buffer adjacent holes. Tree plantings, whether memorial or ornamental in purpose, interfere with alternative routes to the green. How do you defend par? Obviously most golfers think you should just plant, plant, plant! New trees are most everywhere. Old trees are encroaching as well. Overgrowth has been neglected. Members think trees are too beautiful to lose; superintendents have environmental concerns; classic courses are at prey to the influences of modernization. Straight, narrow, treelined and treefilled is the perception of the norm. Just look at what the whole golf-interested world witnessed when it viewed this years US Open. I wonder how many saplings have just been planted as a result. I bet alot!
I am simply tired of playing hidden gems, hidden, that is, by new trees and overgrowth. Strategic value has been ruined and/or lost at many courses because of trees.
I am simply sick of playing golf where I repetitively must hit the ball 235 yards, straight off the tee and then 150 yards, straight to the green, because of the abundance trees. Straight this required distance and straight that required distance. What monotony!
How is it that adults and children understand that it isn't good to screw with antique furniture. They just know that if you refinish a grandfather clock that it will not be as valuable; they just know that if you leave a glass on an antique chest that it may make a ring; and they just know that adding vaneer to your great grandmothers'dresser isn't desirable. Yet these same people are planting trees all over classic, golgen age golf courses. What is the difference? Why is it difficult for these people to grasp the concept that both are antiques which deserve to be preserved and protected, instead of altered and changed.
Please forgive me for this little outburst! You see, I just played a course this weekend that not only had trees that interfered with shot selection, direction, stance and swing path, but worse than that were the stakes and metal lines that were used to suspend these trees. Of note, some of the very small saplings did have mere tomato plant wire screans which were less bothersome.

Peter Galea

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2001, 04:34:00 AM »
Proposal for an addendum to the 2002 edition of the USGA "Rules of Golf". This will be the first mention of trees in the rulebook.

Rule 35-GCA
"Anyone wishing to plant a tree on a golf course should be personally responsible for its care and upkeep for the life of the tree. They should also be made to promise that it will never infringe on the play of the hole."

In the event either of these rules are violated the offending tree shall be removed
by sunset. Medal or match play-same result.


Paul Richards

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2001, 06:07:00 AM »
Dunlop White III:

Dunlop, having just read your article
posted under the "in my opinion" section
here at golfclubatlas, let me tell you that
you hit the nail on the head, over and over throughout your article.

As a member of my home course's Long-Range Master Plan, I can appreciate what a hot topic the removal of trees from the golf course can be. Every member of my committee will be encouraged to read your work, and, hopefully, will begin to understand that despite the beauty of trees, many do not have a place on classical golf courses.

"Something has to change, otherwise the never-ending arms race that benefits only a few manufacturers will continue to lead to longer courses, narrower fairways, smaller greens, more rough, more expensive rounds, and other mechanisms that will leave golf's future in doubt." -  TFOG

Pistol Pete

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2001, 07:21:00 PM »
This is easy - it's either trees or turf.

No other choice.


PBurgess

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2001, 09:00:00 PM »
Mr. White:
I finally found this link! The research and effort which went into this essay must have been astounding. May I have a copy for my club's Board and our potential restoration plans? Better yet, do you give presentations on this and any other design issues? Also, what sources do you recommend that I use or read?
Can you help me understand exactly how trees hurt a course?(from a grass stand point) I understand and agree with all your many points as to how they have a detrimental impact strategically. I guess I need a lesson in agronomy!
Please respond to this post

ForkaB

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2001, 09:24:00 PM »
PBurgess

Thanks for bringing this up to the top.  It is one of the best and most significant pieces of writing on this website.  Good luck on your restoration.

Rich


Dunlop_White

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2001, 10:38:00 PM »
Mr. Burgess

As Ran explained above, you may be able to make copies from your printer if you put it in the "landscape" setting instead of the "vertical" setting.

I have had a few requests to give presentations, but to date I have simply resorted to e-mailing my research to many club Boards and green's committees which have expressed an interest. I will be glad to do the same for you! Golfweek Magazine did ask that I give a presentation at "Raters Cup" at Victoria National in Indiana next month. But for a prior commitment, I certainly would not have declined Brad Klein's request.

Speaking of Brad Klein, he is the real expert on trees and golf architecture and design. I highly recommend his new book, "Discovering Donald Ross" (Sleeping Bear Press: 2001). It is the best! The chapters, "Reading a Ross Course" and "Rescuing Ross: The Fine Art of Restoration" is must reading for us all. Klein also wrote "Rough Meditations" (Sleeping Bear Press: 1997) which is also good. If you can get a copy of "The Architects of Golf" by Cornish and Whitten, then do so! Others include Geoff Schackelford's "Golden Age of Golf" and "Masters of the Links", and Tom Doak's "Anatomy of a Golf Course"(1992) and "Alister MacKenzie"(Sleeping Bear Press: 2001). "Golf Architecture" by Hurzdan is informative as well.

And depending on your budget and your degree of interest, Robert Muir Graves and Geoffrey Cornish actually teach a class at Harvard University every June on golf architecture and design. Pull up Harvard's website for a course description and dates. Usually, quite a few golf figures enroll in this class annually.

And by the way, this website is also an excellent source of information. With Brad Klein, Geoff Schackelford, Ron Whitten, Ron Pritchard and Tom Doak(etc.) contributing, you can certainly learn alot right here.

As far as trees and turfgrass go, they simply don't mix! Just look at the turfgrass below the trees at your home golf course. The grass here is usually unhealthy, dying, or already dead. Trees tend to block necessary morning sunlight, especially from the east, which inhibits growth. Trees further block air movement and air circulation which prevents the necessary exchange of gases required for growth. Trees are dominant plants to grass, and when competing for nutients and water, trees will always win. Also, in the winter, trees block necessary afternoon sunlight, especially from the west, which prevents frozen turfgrass areas to have a chance to thaw. Last year trees significantly contributed to the vast winterkill which struck many portions of our country. Therefore, you are basically setting yourself up for a hit if you don't pay more attention to the turfgrass areas which need more sunlight.

Some superintendents will seed and re-seed, and sod and re-sod these areas continuously. The results are usually the same. No grass!  Worse yet, when all agronomic efforts fail, they will attempt to beautify these areas beneath and around trees with mulch and/or pine bark nuggets. Today, you will see it all around golf courses. It comes shredded, in mini-nuggets and large nuggets. Just try to attempt a recovery shot out of this mess! Regardless of your skill and shotmaking ability, you are stymied! Matters are compounded when they shape this material into little inverted pods approximately six(6) feet in diameter beneath virtually every sapling on the course. If engaged, you better hope that the tree is suspended by your typical tripod of wire with three(3) stakes(another subject of concern). Only then may you get relief legitimately.

Its not rocket science! Get a chainsaw, grow grass, and forget this foolishness!!!

I hope I answered your questions. You can contact me directly at dwhiteiii@triad.rr.com, and I will forward a copy of "Below the Trees" to you then. Best wishes with your potential golf course restoration project.

Dunlop


CElam

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2001, 01:08:00 PM »
Thank you very much - an excellent article!

RWalker

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2001, 12:26:00 PM »
Thanks for the revision! This work will be used.

Patrick_Mucci

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2001, 03:59:00 PM »
Ran,

Dunlop was kind enough to provide me with a copy of his work, which I passed on to my green chairman and members of the executive committee.

Each one approached me and thanked me for providing such an insightful piece, and I think positive results are following, without the usual tree hugging fight.

Dunlop, thanks again.


SMeeker

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2001, 09:20:00 PM »
Mr White,

I have seen and read your paper on golf course tree management, Under The
Trees", and am very interested in the subject.  As a
member of the Green Committee at one of the "classic tree lined courses" I
want to learn more about your theory.  Are you advocating that:

Trees in general have little to no place on a golf course?
As trees die or fall they should not be replaced?
Re-forrestation programs generally are not necessary?



Dunlop_White

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Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2001, 10:02:00 PM »
Dear Mr. Meeker,

I cannot advocate eliminating all the trees on a typical classic design, although I would prefer to eliminate all trees which unreasonably affect play. Trees simply hurt golf courses in two respects: strategically and agronomically. I cannot advocate tree replacement programs either just as I am against ornamental and memorial tree planting programs.

{One prominent restorationist said, "Courses would be much better off if, when someone dies, you cut down a tree in his name". Similarly, a Super recently lamented to an executive of the USGA that "a twister had taken down over 200 trees on his course this summer". He replied, "not a bad start. If you are fortunate enough to have a few more storms, then you will have one hell of a golf course."}

Tree removal is a politically sensitive issue. It is also site specific. It depends on the tree(s), their location(s), and the course. What do I advocate? I advocate the restoration and preservation of classic designs! This does in fact demand for massive tree removal, the guidelines of which I described in my report.

Try to locate old course photos, preferably aerials. Try to locate the original routing plans. Talk to elder members. Endeavor to get a sense of how the course once looked and how the course once played. Educate the committee, the Super, and the membership. If necessary, hire an architect. Then attempt to emulate the wide open, lateral spaces which were inevitably once there. Otherwise, simply cut trees, if they hamper turfgrass or if they are too close to tees and/or greens or if they are encroaching into fairways or if they are smothering both sides of typical landing areas, or if they prevent a chance at a recovery attempt. Furthermore, remove trees to open up vistas of the course and to provide visual depth to a hole. Low limbed pines, spruces (evergreens) are no good either.

Read my report again. It may help! Basically, when you have tree-lined fairways, there is but one option to play a hole. When you have open lateral spaces, golfers have many choices and options. Shots require thought. Strategy comes into play. Removing trees recreates this classical atmosphere.

Best wishes!


MYoung

Dunlop White III's Below the Trees is now posted
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2001, 09:50:00 AM »
Dunlop,

I enjoyed your article ,Below The Trees, very much .  I am a member at
Athens Country Club in Athens, Ga. which is a 1926 Ross course that is still
intact.  I have requested that all members of our Historic Comm. read your
article and I have forwarded it to several.
From a post I read today it seems as though you may have revised the
article.  Is this correct?  If so could you e-mail me a copy?

Thanks!