[Sam Morrow]

I just read this on the website of a club here in Texas, the course was done by Press Maxwell.

The Importance of Trees

Set among 50 year old pecan and live oak trees, the golf course plays from four sets of tee boxes. The course has water on 14 holes and we maintain our greens at medium to faster speeds.  Many mature trees line the fairways, and we continue to enhance the course every year with a yearly budget of $9,000 designated specifically for new trees. 

I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about this.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Trees are good once they are not planted in straight lines, once they are planted at suitable distances from the playing corridors giving a sense of width and scale, once they are not ever present, once they are of an attractive indigenous variety that allow undergrowth to be cleared fairly easily and once they don’t obscure medium and long views that would be more attractive without them.

Many golden age architects embraced them. We’ve seen writings by Colt and Simpson that talked about the correct way to manage tree planting.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Are trees important, ops sorry I do not know why because if they are, then Hell guys, the true links course must be rather disappointing for many a golfer being devoid on them.

But then I suppose that attitude of ‘trees being important’ must come from being land locked with no access to the sea. However, having said that I hate trees on a golf course, because in a few years they consume vast volumes of water, which affects the fairways by depleting them of perhaps much of the residual water in the varsity, not to mention how they interfere with the original course design as they mature.  But in modern times they are thirsty brutes at a time when we are striving for course sustainability.

Are trees really important, are they a good idea on a golf course? 

[Adrian_Stiff]

Trees are very important in the mindset of the majority. Its another one of 'our sites minor opinions' that they are bad.

[Sean_A]

Trees are good once they are not planted in straight lines, once they are planted at suitable distances from the playing corridors giving a sense of width and scale, once they are not ever present, once they are of an attractive indigenous variety that allow undergrowth to be cleared fairly easily and once they don’t obscure medium and long views that would be more attractive without them.

Many golden age architects embraced them. We’ve seen writings by Colt and Simpson that talked about the correct way to manage tree planting.

Cha ching.

Ciao

[Ross Tuddenham]

Melvyn, if trees do consume a lot of water can they contribute to the drainage of less well draining non links courses?


Maybe we need less sentiment towards trees on courses once they get to a certain size or level of interference with play? Get them chopped down as soon as they begin to ruin the original design intent of a hole.

[Jon Wiggett]

Melvyn, if trees do consume a lot of water can they contribute to the drainage of less well draining non links courses?


Maybe we need less sentiment towards trees on courses once they get to a certain size or level of interference with play? Get them chopped down as soon as they begin to ruin the original design intent of a hole.

Ross, contrary to what many people believe trees will never improve the drainage of a wet site but may through their roots improve the stability. They will have a negative affect on the surface drainage through causing the top soil profile to remain wetter.

As to the question. It depends on the course and its location. A course like Wentworth they are of great importance but at TOC or most links wholly inappropriate.

Jon

[Ross Tuddenham]

Thanks Jon, it is something you hear from time to time.

[Tom_Doak]

The "one size fits all" approach boggles my mind sometimes.

Trees are an important feature of some sites for golf courses.  If you were given a forest in which to build a course, would you knock it all down, or would you try to use the character of the site [the trees!] as a part of the golf course?

Yesterday I was sorting through some stuff at the office and came across an old slide of the 10th hole at Winged Foot (East), and the giant American elm that used to guard it.  Does anyone think it's a better hole now that the tree is gone?

[Melvyn Morrow]

What about deleting the Road Hole Bunker (TOC) and replacing it with a tree - no, think it would change the whole Hole, so IMHO no trees on a golf course, unless the designer has run out of ideas

Sod the trees on a course, but then I am a Man of The Links, so should not be surprising.

[JR Potts]

What about deleting the Road Hole Bunker (TOC) and replacing it with a tree - no, think it would change the whole Hole, so IMHO no trees on a golf course, unless the designer has run out of ideas

Sod the trees on a course, but then I am a Man of The Links, so should not be surprising.

Does this guy even read what other people write on this site or just regurgitate that same crap over and over?  Reminds me of a fundamentalist who has no appreciation for anything outside of his/her minute and warped understanding of the world  It's amazing to me that this same drivel is embraced on this site to such a level that a feature would be written about the author.

Tom - you said it right.  Trees don't belong on all golf courses and in all places...but in some landforms and in some geographical locations, they are an integral part of the land and thus, the golf course that sits upon it.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Your marketing strategy is rather unique – insult members of the public you have never met, let alone know and who may one day be required to rely upon to make a living. Love it.

As for the Road Hole Bunker/Tree swap you never made a comment or answered my question, preferring to throw insults. I kept to the subject matter, golf, trees and their importance - I just do not consider trees important in the design process and have been made aware that they can be expensive at times to the maintenance budgets.

But you continue your attack, enjoy yourself as I see you have a difficulty understanding or grasping the common basics of common courtesy and clearly know sweet FA about fellowship

Have a nice day Mr Potts

[JR Potts]

Melvin:

I have nothing against you.  I just can't understand for the life of me why you continue to come onto this site (every day) and write the same thing over and over again.  It is the equivalent of me forming some unique and antiquated golf opinion that will NEVER be embraced and then regurgitating it over and over and over again.  While I may truly believe it, it's not worth the effort and quite candidly, not worth the time as nobody else wants to hear it over and over and over again.

It's a free site and you can post what you want - I'll just end this by saying the following:  "I get it.  I get your point."

You have a nice day as well.

 

[Terry Lavin]

There's only one button on that clicker, "REPEAT".

[Dan Boerger]

Count me as one who doesn't understand the infatuation many have with total tree removal. One size certainly does not fit all.

Trees as hazards can be interesting and certainly add strategic value to a golf hole.

Two examples come to mind: The tee shot on the 4th hole at Merion East. Without the pine trees on the right side of the fairway the golfer would almost certainly bail out there, regardless of the severity of the rough. Those trees require you to take on the left side bunkers. Another example is the 7th hole at Aronimink. The hole is a somewhat downhill slight dogleg right. A large tree on the inside right rough make the tee shot more demanding and, if you push right, requires you to take on the hazard directly - punch under or try to go over.

Are there too many trees on most parkland golf courses in the US? From my observation, probably. But again -- baby/bathwater.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Terry

And boy, are you prone to keep hitting it time after time after time after time and time again. You need to look in the mirror occasionally because at least I try and keep to the subject about golf - you and you lot are just crude rude individuals that kill sites like GCA.com

[Jud_T]

It's all relative.  One would have to discuss the specifics of the course.  Granted, on the face of it the phrases "Tree-lined corridors" and "water on 14 holes" do not make one have to search out replacement Under Armor.  Nevertheless, the challenge of routing a course through heavily treed areas while keeping the native beauty yet allowing for interesting, strategic play remains an interesting one...

[jeffwarne]

Trees are good once they are not planted in straight lines, once they are planted at suitable distances from the playing corridors giving a sense of width and scale, once they are not ever present, once they are of an attractive indigenous variety that allow undergrowth to be cleared fairly easily and once they don’t obscure medium and long views that would be more attractive without them.

Many golden age architects embraced them. We’ve seen writings by Colt and Simpson that talked about the correct way to manage tree planting.

I was rereading Hurzdan's architecture text i received at a seminar many years ago that places a high importance on trees.

My beef with clear cutting in restorations from aeriels is how do we know the original architect , when given a piece of old farmland as his site, didn't say "this place will be great once a few trees are planted and mature"?

Tree planting was a fad gone amuk and overdone.
tree clearing is also a fad gone amuk.
few realize they are participating in a "fad" until it's over  (as cool as our bell bottoms looked)


Tree" management" is certainly a good thing.

have at it

[Ed Brzezowski]

Great point Jeff,

Here around Philly most courses would look and play worse with all trees removed. I think your points are well taken. All things in moderation and within a workable plan. We are taking down a bunch at my club and replanting small ones in spots picked out by the design firm. The course would not look any better if a mass cut was done.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Mr Potts

I don’t understand this stance some have with repeating.

After all do we not play a game that is repeating 18 times over round, xyz times in a Tournament or Championships?
Then what about the subject re the number of Top 100 courses be it worldwide, USA or Europe, time after time the majority of courses are repeated within that list or the shorter lists of 50 or even 10. Then we have the repetitive discussion on the order of these lists being IMHO one of the most repetitive action we see on this site.

So we are in a game that embraces the repetitive, yet you don’t attack these lists, those involved or the numerous threads discussing their order.

AS for my position none of the above is actually important to the game or golfers, as all are just down to individual preferences, however the points I try to keep in the forefront, noting this is a site about GCA, relate to the game, design, its past and hopefully it’s future.

Yes, my points are repetitive, to get the message out that the game is greater that many believe, that by having real interaction with all aspects of the physical and mental game, the golfer gets more out of it. Plus Design, IMHO, has faltered, ideas are drying up, challenges are watered down and the game is haemorrhaging players with some moving over to Hickory to regain that level of enjoyment that golf once offered. Not to mention courses closing.

More than just the Members read this site, and while I may well be boring in my repetitive messages, I hope it makes just a few players consider their position and their game. So yes I am guilty of passion for the game, while my attackers show little regard for others, interest in the wellbeing of golf, this site or the quality of both Golf and GCA in the world at large.

So you do not agree, that’s fine, I have no issues, but stupid attacks are pointless, wasteful and the site owner has asked that we try and refrain from such action, yet the sh#t still keeps comes to the surface.

[Sam Morrow]

Yeah, I started a thread and it became a clusterfuck. Thanks.

[PCCraig]

I just read this on the website of a club here in Texas, the course was done by Press Maxwell.

The Importance of Trees

Set among 50 year old pecan and live oak trees, the golf course plays from four sets of tee boxes. The course has water on 14 holes and we maintain our greens at medium to faster speeds.  Many mature trees line the fairways, and we continue to enhance the course every year with a yearly budget of $9,000 designated specifically for new trees. 

I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about this.

Sam,

Whomever is running the course is obviously trying to appeal to a demographic that does not post or read golfclubatlas.com

If a golf course sits naturally on a wooded site...then sure, I don't have any problem with trees on a golf course as so long as they aren't in play. What I can't stand are unprofessional and forced plantings of trees on sites that never had them or don't need them. How many years of $9,000 tree planting budgets before the course turns into an arboretum?

[Sam Morrow]

I just read this on the website of a club here in Texas, the course was done by Press Maxwell.

The Importance of Trees

Set among 50 year old pecan and live oak trees, the golf course plays from four sets of tee boxes. The course has water on 14 holes and we maintain our greens at medium to faster speeds.  Many mature trees line the fairways, and we continue to enhance the course every year with a yearly budget of $9,000 designated specifically for new trees. 

I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about this.

Sam,

Whomever is running the course is obviously trying to appeal to a demographic that does not post or read golfclubatlas.com

If a golf course sits naturally on a wooded site...then sure, I don't have any problem with trees on a golf course as so long as they aren't in play. What I can't stand are unprofessional and forced plantings of trees on sites that never had them or don't need them. How many years of $9,000 tree planting budgets before the course turns into an arboretum?

Thanks for a legit response. It's an interesting site as the far end is heavily wooded and the area closer to the clubhouse it a little more open with a little elevation change.

[Carl Rogers]

I have lived in the South & Southeastern part of the USA all of my life and come from a farming background.  Trees, partucularly hardwood trees, are a naturally occuring part of the landscape (save for row crops that were the trees were cleared many generations back).  It would be awkward and highly un-natural for there to be no trees on golf courses here.

Unless some of think that "legitimate golf" cannot be played in this part of the world.

[JESII]

There's no feature on a links course I find more appealing than a large specimen hardwood tree on a parkland course...and I love links golf. The first picture of the Winged Foot essay on here is awesome.

Melvyn, you might want to take a look at the picture to broaden your horizons a little bit.

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