Tree Removal, A Comprehensive List of Courses by State in the US

[Joel_Stewart]

Olympic did not take out 1500 trees unless you count bushes and weeds and some trees on the Ocean course.  I would put it more in the medium count.


Cal Club took out over 1500 trees over a long period of time.

[Andrew Buck]

If I get around to it, I'll try to estimate the climate impact of all this tree removal. It would be good if these courses had a plan to plant at least an equivalent number of trees somewhere else.

Wouldn't the climate impact be somewhat offset by the improvement in turf grass quality? (assuming turf improves with tree removal) Healthy turf has many environmental benefits - erosion control, stabilization (dust), run-off reduction, cooling, etc.

I also suspect that many of the courses that remove trees are also increasing native areas, which have a favorable impact on the environment.

[Aaron Marks]

In 2002 Ravisloe CC (Illinois) removed trees but I couldn't give you a number.  Probably in the 200-500 group though? 

[astavrides]

If I get around to it, I'll try to estimate the climate impact of all this tree removal. It would be good if these courses had a plan to plant at least an equivalent number of trees somewhere else.

Just curious....what are your qualitfications for making an estimate that I would take seriously?

PhD in Physical Chemistry. I would do my google research and show my work.

[astavrides]

If I get around to it, I'll try to estimate the climate impact of all this tree removal. It would be good if these courses had a plan to plant at least an equivalent number of trees somewhere else.

Wouldn't the climate impact be somewhat offset by the improvement in turf grass quality? (assuming turf improves with tree removal) Healthy turf has many environmental benefits - erosion control, stabilization (dust), run-off reduction, cooling, etc.

I also suspect that many of the courses that remove trees are also increasing native areas, which have a favorable impact on the environment.

I doubt turf grass captures anywhere near the carbon of a tree. More lush turf grass might capture more carbon than more sparse turf grass, but it might also need more frequent cutting meaning more watering and more gasoline.


As far as native areas, I'm not sure I see a correlation between tree removal and increased native areas.


But those are reasonable thoughts and I could be wrong and I would be interested to hear more evidence or anecdotes.

[Trey Kemp]

Ross Rogers - Mustang Course, TX - (mid) 500
Oakbrook Golf Club, WA - (mid) 450

[Doug_Nickels]

Joel,
The majority of trees at the Cal Club were removed  in 1996/97 during a substantial logging operation. 

[Doug Wright]

Ben,
Denver Country Club has removed a lot of trees the past couple of years in conjunction with Gil Hanse's work. Not sure how many, probably more "quality than quantity" as many of the trees were large iconic trees that were decades old. Let's say "medium" quantity. All for the better IMO...   

[Andrew Buck]

As far as native areas, I'm not sure I see a correlation between tree removal and increased native areas.

My assertion may be anecdotal, but from my playing days in the 80's and early 90s, I don't recall any native areas on golf courses.  Now, I see them much more frequently and often in conjunction with courses that are also moving trees.  Maybe their is an Oakmont member that can opine, but since I view Oakmont as the ringleader for tree clearing, I'd be curious to know if the approximately 30 acres of native areas you can see on an aerial today existed in the 1980's when trees were providing corridors for holes? 

[PGertner]

Potowomut Golf Club
East Greenwich, Rhode Island


2500 removals since 2003 between 2 Supers. 100 acre property. Course was wildly overgrown. 95% of takedowns were done in house by grounds staff. Gave away wood and wood chips, occasionally paid to have pine logs hauled away. Stumps were ground and filled in house. For the amount of work done, we saved the club many thousands of $$, and kept the club viable during extremely challenging financial years in economically depressed Rhode Island among heady competition.


In 2015, members enjoy an much more open golf course because of exposed vistas with greatly improved turfgrass.


Patrick Gertner
Potowomut Golf Club 

[Dave Givnish]

Oakmont - 600 is what I remember hearing from a couple of members
Desert Forest - around 100

[JNagle]

(PA) - Some of these may be lowManufacturer's Golf & C.C.  - 1,000+
Philadelphia C.C. - 1,000 +
Rolling Green G.C. - 750 +
Lancaster C.C. - 500 +
Northampton C.C. - 400 +
Green Valley C.C. - 400 +
Longue Vue Club - 300 - 400
Chester Valley - 300 +
Concord - 800 +


(NY) - CC of Buffalo +/- 750


(OH) - Kirtland C.C. - +/- 500


(IA) - Davenport C.C. - 500 +


(LA) - Metairie C.C. - +/- 400

[CBunge]

Sleepy Hollow C.C. in NY with 2007 restoration by Gil Hanse - low. Not too many trees lining the fairways to begin with, but after restoration there are few trees to worry about on many of the holes (besides 8-14).

[astavrides]

As far as native areas, I'm not sure I see a correlation between tree removal and increased native areas.

My assertion may be anecdotal, but from my playing days in the 80's and early 90s, I don't recall any native areas on golf courses.  Now, I see them much more frequently and often in conjunction with courses that are also moving trees.  Maybe their is an Oakmont member that can opine, but since I view Oakmont as the ringleader for tree clearing, I'd be curious to know if the approximately 30 acres of native areas you can see on an aerial today existed in the 1980's when trees were providing corridors for holes?

Are the courses making native areas in the same areas of the course that once had trees? Can't you still have a native area in an area that still has trees? They may be temporally correlated but have no causal relationship. On the other hand, it could be related in that both trends give the courses a certain look that has grown in popularity.
Don't get me wrong, I do think removing trees often makes a better and more fun golf course. Not sure I would say the same thing about the addition of native areas.

[Stewart Abramson]

Sleepy Hollow

[BCowan]

Potowomut Golf Club
East Greenwich, Rhode Island


2500 removals since 2003 between 2 Supers. 100 acre property. Course was wildly overgrown. 95% of takedowns were done in house by grounds staff. Gave away wood and wood chips, occasionally paid to have pine logs hauled away. Stumps were ground and filled in house. For the amount of work done, we saved the club many thousands of $$, and kept the club viable during extremely challenging financial years in economically depressed Rhode Island among heady competition.


In 2015, members enjoy an open because of many exposed vistas with greatly improved turfgrass.


Patrick Gertner
Potowomut Golf Club

Patrick,

   Great story.  Thanks for posting.

-Ben

[Jason Way]

I was talking to George Waters today about this subject. I'm pretty sure that he said that Pasatiempo in CA took out 1000+.


Can any of the other NorCal guys confirm?

[DJohnson]

Ben:

This is going to be a long list.  Some personal experience, off the top of my head:

Medinah #1 - (mid) 800 trees?
Medinah #3 - (high)
Onwentsia Club, IL - (high) 800 trees
Blue Mound, WI - (high)
Chicago Golf Club, IL - (low) removed planted backgrounds behind many greens
Garden City Golf Club, NY - (high)
Cherry Hills, CO - (low to mid)  still working on it
Holston Hills, TN - (high)


Another extensive tree program that resulted in vast improvement was at Waverly in Oregon.  Gil Hanse took down a ton of trees there and opened up some great views across the property.

Blue Mound took out tons.  I don't know how many and doubt it would be 1500 (83 per hole), but it ranks high in terms of changing the face of the course from mostly all tree lined fairways to a more airy feel to the course.

Merrill Hills, which was known for its trees and green complexes, went under the knife as well.  Before 2013, the reputation was penal tree lined fairways.  You could always find your ball underneath oaks, but escape was limited.  I saw many players attempt glory recovery shots only to watch their ball pinballing back through the trees. 

The cutting began the very day the new owner closed on the purchase of the course in 2013.  I was playing that day, and immediately noticed a crew of 8-10, armed with chainsaws and removal trucks, was hard at work.  Banks of thick pine trees that backed some of the greens were the first to go.  A shot that was 30 feet off the greens on a few holes surrounded by those pines was an immediate penalty stroke at best.  Next to go were probably every other of the oaks that lined most fairways.  The cutting continues to this day, with trees being removed for health reasons or for strategic reasons.  There are still plenty of trees lining the fairways, but now instead of punching out, low shaped recovery shots are possible.

[Terry Lavin]

From Chicagoland (and SW Michigan), from my personal experience:
 
Beverly CC: 700
Olympia Fields North: 900
Olympia Fields South: 250???
Flossmoor: 1500
Dunes Club: 400

[Dan Herrmann]

Berkshire in Reading, PA took out a lot of trees and there are more left to go.

French Creek lost one of our 2 trees

[Jeff Johnson]

The Minikahda Club 700+

[astavrides]

Climate impact of tree removal:
(very rough and fast calculation--not ready for publication)



executive summary:
removal of 660 trees (rough average per course tree removal of courses mentioned in this thread) is the equivalent of adding 20 cars to the road for one year. removal of 100,000 trees (rough total for all courses mentioned in this thread) is the equivalent of adding 30,000 cars to the road for one year (~0.01% of all the cars registered in the US), which is roughly equivalent to the yearly emissions of the Turks and Caicos islands.


details:
climate impact is often measured in equivalent amount of cars added to the road.
Average car/light truck mileage in US in 2011: 21.4mpg
average number of miles driven per year in US in 2011: 11, 318
number of cars registered in US in 2012: 254 million
% of US emissions due to cars and trucks: 20%
% of US emissions compared to world emissions: 16%
% of world emissions due to US cars and trucks: 3%
% of world emissions due to tree removal on US golf courses mentioned in this thread: (0.0003%)
equivalent emissions of tree removal in this calculation takes into account only loss of uptake of CO2 by the trees, not the emissions due to the actual cutting down and hauling away of the trees


sources:
http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/refs.html
various wikipedia sites for yearly emissions by country, etc.

[Jim Franklin]

Five Farms East removed a fair number of trees and it looks so much better. Not sure the total number, but will find out.

[PCCraig]

Climate impact of tree removal:
(very rough and fast calculation--not ready for publication)



executive summary:
removal of 660 trees (rough average per course tree removal of courses mentioned in this thread) is the equivalent of adding 20 cars to the road for one year. removal of 100,000 trees (rough total for all courses mentioned in this thread) is the equivalent of adding 30,000 cars to the road for one year (~0.01% of all the cars registered in the US), which is roughly equivalent to the yearly emissions of the Turks and Caicos islands.


details:
climate impact is often measured in equivalent amount of cars added to the road.
Average car/light truck mileage in US in 2011: 21.4mpg
average number of miles driven per year in US in 2011: 11, 318
number of cars registered in US in 2012: 254 million
% of US emissions due to cars and trucks: 20%
% of US emissions compared to world emissions: 16%
% of world emissions due to US cars and trucks: 3%
% of world emissions due to tree removal on US golf courses mentioned in this thread: (0.0003%)
equivalent emissions of tree removal in this calculation takes into account only loss of uptake of CO2 by the trees, not the emissions due to the actual cutting down and hauling away of the trees


sources:
http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/refs.html
various wikipedia sites for yearly emissions by country, etc.

Ok, are you accounting for the additional grass that is taking the place of the trees removed?


http://www.unruhturf.com/pdf/2Did%20You%20Know-Trees%20%26%20Grass%20Both%20Clean%20the%20Ari.pdf

[astavrides]

Ok, are you accounting for the additional grass that is taking the place of the trees removed?


http://www.unruhturf.com/pdf/2Did%20You%20Know-Trees%20%26%20Grass%20Both%20Clean%20the%20Ari.pdf

I couldn't find any statistics on the  amount of carbon sequestration from turf grass or native grass compared to trees from a quick google search. If you can, I would be interested. However, if you imagine the amount of carbon sequestered long term by a tree, including the growth of the trunk, branches, and roots, the difference in green area of tree leaves vs. grass blades is probably in the noise, and the carbon sequestration of a tree dwarfs that of the grass. Keep in mind, too, that there is usually grass around the tree as well, everywhere but the trunk.