75,000 at Oak Hill?

[Dunlop_White]

Because classical architects were influenced by The Old Course and links golf in Scotland, they naturally embraced pastureland and prairies as ideal sites in America. Photographs of Pinehurst and Oak Hill in the 1920's reveal that these Donald Ross layouts were once windswept and barren. Besides, Ross believed that trees should have a very limited place in golf.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Please read part of the following Oak Hill article, which was written on the PGA website. Not only is this account quite typical, but worse yet, is its portrayal.

"Dr. John R. Williams surveyed the new playground and concluded that Ross' wonderful designs would be enhanced by trees - thousands upon thousands of oaks, maples, evergreens and elms, but of course, mostly oaks.
The majority of the Pittsford land was barren…. The soil had been beaten badly by more than 100 years of farming, and there were very few trees, giving the two courses a cheerless look to them. So Dr. Williams took up botany and horticulture as a hobby and aimed at transforming Oak Hill into the landmark it has become.
He said he lost count at 75,000 , the number of seedlings he planted, and as you walk the grounds of Oak Hill today, you can't help but gaze skyward at the majestic trees that dominate the landscape. They soar to the heavens, lending both an unmatched beauty and a treacherous detriment to one's scorecard.
It boggles the mind to think that nearly all of these wonders began as little acorns - collected from all over the world - in the small backyard garden of Dr. Williams' home at 388 Monroe Avenue."

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Dunlop,
Thanks for posting this quote. This is specifically the crap Golf Architecture DOESN'T need from the publicists, especially the poor ones!

[GeoffreyC]

I posted this yesterday in the "Anyone going to be at Oak Hill" thread.

From the Sports Illustrated website

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golfonline/columns/johnson/2003/pga_championship/watchfor/

part of the article describes the alterations to the course over the years. Below is another part

"One thing that Oak Hill is famous for is its trees, yet when Ross built the course, the course was devoid of them. That changed thanks to member Dr. John Williams, a botanist who made it his personal project to fill the property with trees. In his backyard, Williams planted seeds, grew them to saplings, then transplanted them on to the course. As word of his project spread, people began sending him seeds and acorns from all over the world. Williams even received a tree planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon! The hard work paid off: Williams transformed the barren landscape into a lush forest, planting 80,000 trees on the Oak Hill property. Today, more than 34,000 of those trees are on the East Course of Oak Hill."

A barron landscape into a lush forest- well that's progress    

[A_Clay_Man]

One root cause of the systemic problem is that people are lazy and their egos aren't.

Lazy because they fall short of learning enough about GCA to change their infintial or novice approach. But their egos won't go there, they just know what it is that makes golf more of a challenge and figure if they like it, it must be right.

Be happy not too many of the egoists with money thought of brick walls as the ultimate in challenge.  If only those damn bricks were a little prettier.

[BCrosby]

There is a similar story at the Athens CC (Ga.).

Athens is a Ross course built in 1925 on old farm land. Except for about 4 holes, the course was treeless when built.

About 1950, the leadership of the club joined forces with the University of Georgia Forestry Department and the Athens Garden Club to plant thousands of trees. It was a kind of joint forestry experiment where lots of varieties were tried. (Interestingly, the club kept much better records of the trees planted than they did about architectural changes to the Ross course.) Because of the lack of an irrigation system, the saplings had to be watered by hand, so they planted them in groups of 400 or so every year for about 10 years.

Talking to members today, most are prouder of their trees than of the fact that they have a Ross course.

Any doubt about that vanished after recent conversations where the removal of trees was suggested in order to open up some of the old Ross features. The trees have won every round.

My guess is that Oak Hill and Athens are typical stories. Very few Golden Age courses weren't forested in the 50's and 60's.

Undoing it is going to be extremely difficult and may never happen at most clubs.

Bob

[Dunlop_White]

Dr. Williams, like many other country club figures over the years, and still today, are not the ones we should blame, though I once thought so. It does no good! Design intent and architectural heritage were not exactly the talk-of-the-town then. Planting trees came rather naturally for many well-intentioned green committeemen and club figures, including Dr. Williams.
Instead, I think the burden should be placed on those who influence public perception. The publicists, the media, and major tournament venues (etc.) How many more greens chairmen will implement the same type of tree planting program at their home club after reading and hearing about how Dr. Williams saved Oak Hill? A few I'm afraid is too many! They are sending a deleterious message to architects, developers, green chairmen, and golf clubs across the world.

Instead, I know that Oak Hill has recently had to remove over 1000 trees over the past five years for agronomic reasons. I know that Oak Hill has had to remove many trees around the 13th green. Known as the "Hill of Fame", here trees honor and remember those who have made contributions to society and golf. By thinning out the "Hill of Fame" and moving remembrance plaques to other less obtrusive trees, the condition of the turf has dramatically improved. Why aren't we run these stories, the kind that will help influence, help educate and help golf?

[John Foley]

Dunlop,

Your right, Dr. Williams is not the man to blame. He is held in high esteem here in Rochester & Oak Hill for his work. The bigger question is, is anyone to blame? Oak Hill appears to be a very member driven place.  I've seen the Open, Ryder Cup, US AM and now PGA there. The members (and the appropriate golfing association) do an incredible job staging these evnts and enjoy having their club in the public forum. Most probably like the fact that Ross designed it, but have no idea what that means to the course they play now.

Is Oak Hill a better course now than what Ross envisioned. I doubt it. Did RTJ, Fazio & others make mistakes ? To us yes, to the members? I don't know. The routing is still great. The only hole that sticks out like a sore thumb is 15. The old 4-6 was supposedly much tougher.

I come from the Redanman school of arboretum (no tree's is perfect). The ice storms took out many tree's, but many more need to go. But that's just my opinion. I just think that in many cases what we think is broken is not what the members think is broken.

[BCrosby]

GCA has many leit-motifs. One is:

"I just think that in many cases what we think is broken is not what the members think is broken."

When the topic is trees, the GCA gang and regular (normal?) golfers have almost nothing in common. The gulf is so wide that it is difficult for the two sides to even talk to each other. There are no shared beliefs. Not even the same vocabulary.

I've learned the hard way that you shouldn't try it unless you have a high threshold for pain.

 

[mike_malone]

 Members at our club have little bagtags that say "25 year member".Whenever i play with one of them i always ask them the same question--"What has changed the most during your time here?"
 Yesterday the guy said"the trees--we cut down too many in the back of #18.It was beautiful before."
    The poor guy did not  know to whom he was saying this .
   
   Two years ago i would have told him what he did not know.Today,after a year on GCA i asked him-"Do you remember how wet it was in front of that green?"


      It is the responsibility of those who want change to figure out how to communicate .I did not change this gentleman's mind but i may have opened it a little.


 

[Ran Morrissett]

The shame of the trees at Oak Hill is that they mask a wonderful piece of property with many folds and hillocks throughout. For instance, just imagine the 14th as an horizon green  

Upon reviewing Tom MacWood's 1939 find, Oak Hill's absence is most surprising - I would have thought it a course of great exception back then.