Olympic Club - Lake's new trees

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Sunday morning I awoke an hour early, because my 15 month-old twins didn't get the "memo" about sleeping in.  This actually allowed me the opportunity to sneak out, spur of the moment, for the first time in five months to play the Lake course.

Holes #1 and #2 go by with not much fanfare, and then - POW!!! - standing on the third tee, looking down across the newly created vistas of the course, what do i see.  TREES!!!

TREES being planted everywhere!!!!  What the...?  

In fact, as I walked up #4, I counted at least 13 trees either lining the fairway (especially between 4 and 5 between the front-right part #4 green and #5 tees).  Again, what the...?  I was so... confused... that I bladed my wedge clear across the green.

While most clubs across the country are finally eliminating trees, which have encroached on playing angles, hampered turf conditions, and hidden views of their course(s), we seem to be reversing the clock.  

There are a lot of O-Club guys here, any word on this strategy?  

[tlavin]

It's the end of civilization.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I can see trees behind 3 but between 4 and 5 has me confused. I thought there were more to come out still.

[Evan_Green]

Wayne

If I had to hazard a guess (and I dont know for sure), the new trees would be planted in anticipation of some of the existing trees dying or getting knocked over during a winter storm. A lot of the trees at O Club are at the end of their lifespan and I guess the planting is an attempt to plan in advance for this. Remember these things take years and years to get to full size...

Whether this is a good idea is another issue, but thats my guess regarding strategy...

[Mike Benham]

Based on Wayne's description, it looks like the trees to the right of 4 green will eventually attempt to prevent golfers from hitting a high tee ball over the corner of the dogleg.  Of course, we are talking about a carry of 290-300 yards from an elevated tee, and that only fits one class of golfer.

If there are trees that you see from 3rd green, those are on the vacant hillside left of 4 and below the 2nd tee.

[Joel_Stewart]

I noticed today in the Olympian magazine that they planted 200 trees in 2007 and plan 200 more in 2008.

[Matt_Cohn]

where?

[Dunlop_White]

I wonder if replacement is part of an overall master plan or whether a new committee/architect combination is out simply filling up spaces?

[David_Tepper]

I do not believe the planting of trees on the Lake course signals an abandonment of the tree removal/thinning program that has been active and ongoing there for the past couple of years.

I do not believe the intention of the tree removal program has ever been to remove all the trees on property, ala Oakmont.

The reality is that many of the "mature" trees on the property are very near the end of their 80-100 year lifespan. Many of them will die over the next 5-20 years.

The trees being planted now are intended to replace those trees considered relevant.

[Dunlop_White]

Replacement trees are often an important part of tree management efforts if not overdone.

[Joel_Stewart]

The tree management program began simply to get rid of dangerous and dying trees.  It then became clear that the non native trees (eucalyptus) had become invasive to the property that the club decided to remove all of these type of trees that are on the interior part of the course.  The picture above shows a few cypress trees but on the background, eucalyptus trees that boarder the 5th hole and an apartment building as an example.

Dave is a little off on the lifespand issue.  A tree expert the club consulted talked more in the 30 to 50 year life on monterey pines and cypress trees.  I use to know the rough number but the club looses around 10 to 25 of these trees per year?

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

where?

I took some pics that I've found on this site, and edited them to show what it looks like now.  Just, don't know how to post them here.

I've done it from the Flicker site, but how do I post a JPG that's already on my computer?

[J_ Crisham]

Wayne, I played here probably 10-12yrs ago and found this to be almost claustrophobic given the density of the trees. To say that OLY is tight is an understatement.Can't imagine why they would need more trees? This is the only course Ive played tighter than Medinah.As an aside I loved this track and look forward to a return at some point!

[Matt_Cohn]

Jack, a lot has changed since then.

Wayne, you cannot post them from your computer. You must upload to Flickr/Photobucket/etc. and post from there.

[David_Tepper]

Jack Crisham -

As the prior posts have noted, a significant number of the trees on the Lake Course have been cleared, removed and/or trimmed over the past 2-3 years. If you went there now, you would be amazed at how much more open much of the course looks and feels.

As also noted, the new trees now being planted are intended to replace the aged trees that will be dying and removed over the next 5-20 years.  

The net number of trees on the course is going down, not up.

DT