Setting aside whether or not the tree removal improves the golf hole, I have always wondered whether taking trees out that are next to a stream causes harm to the stream itself.
As a kid, I can remember my grandfather removing a bunch of trees near a creek to get some extra farm acreage. It seemed to me that the creek became much less stable and carried a lot more sediment with it thereafter. It went from a regular location for mock battles with a BB Gun to a place I avoided.
This example appears to involve fewer trees and likely does not involve black soil so I suspect the impact would not be as significant.