Tom Huckaby
if I may try to paraphrase your feelings for Bayonnet/Blackhorse, for the purpose of understanding what we try to balance when changes are made to a fundamental, defining characteristic of a course ....(with apologies to Austin Powers)
The tree removal has made it a better course, but has removed its mojo!
From my limited experience, a course that is overtreed today may well have been an outstanding test 20 years ago when the trees were not necessarily mature. As the trees reach maturity the test becomes more extreme, more difficult, more memorable for a variety of reasons but not necessarily better. Then comes the maintenance stage - how do you deal with the maintenance issues on turf resulting from over-crowding by the trees. Then senesence (old-age) sets in causing another maintenance issue. (I think I'm going through that stage myself).
My point about a course improving but being percieved as losing its mojo is not limited to trees. On my wanderings (literally, in search of a distillery) through Scotland, I stumbled on Boat of Garten and in my 20 minute visit I stumbled on the Club's Course Chairmen.
Their main priority was managing the rough, in particular the balance between silver birch, heather and gorse. Their first rule was to have one or the other (generally silver birch where holes were adjacent, heather in other areas, and as little gorse as possible) but to never have two or three in an area. For a small club, this was the constant battle and enables a sustainable course to be presented over time.
A little maintenance often helps to retain the course with its mojo.
James B