Most of the heathland courses have lost much of their character due to tree planting despite retaining the heather. Exceptions I guess are Walton and Hankley which have not been overplanted
Oh, what Hankley could be if they let a decent GCA in there!!!
I don't think it is over planting in most cases, though doubtless there are exceptions. Mostly I think it is a case of failing to remove trees as they grow. Heath is a manmade landscape, created by prehistoric farmers clearing areas for their flocks. It has to be maintained; when it was heavily grazed by sheep and cattle, the animals did that. Now, because much of the lowland heath is in suburban areas and has been divided into islands, it is very rarely grazed to a serious extent (there are deer, but they can't keep up). Hence, as I once wrote in an article, 'today, greenkeepers have to take on the roles of sheep and cattle'.