Type of tree matter to whether it is "stupid"?

[Doug Siebert]

In the taking down vs. planting a tree thread I posted something that made me consider the trees I've seen that "worked" strategically (at least in my opinion)  I'm thinking more in terms of single or two or three at most trees that are isolated from others and affect the preferred line of play rather than merely acting as a penalty for misplayed shots.  You can think of trees in the fairway, but trees on the edge of the fairway or sentinels guarding a dogleg or shortcut approach to a green also apply here.

My thought was that in every example I can think of, the trees that work do not have branches anywhere near the ground.  They don't degrade the quality of the grass below them nor do they affect the efficacy of the ground game.  There are no disturbing lost balls or severe unplayable lie penalties for shots hit on or very near the correct line.

Would anyone consider it reasonable to have a 50 foot evergreen with branches so low that they lay upon the ground in the center of a fairway?  Of course not.  But a mature tree with no branches from 10 to 40 feet from the ground takes away only a few options in play, and only in the worst cases of bad luck or tempting of fate provides much of a penalty beyond stopping a shot prematurely should it be struck.

[A_Clay_Man]

I can think of, the trees that work do not have branches anywhere near the ground.  They don't degrade the quality of the grass below them nor do they affect the efficacy of the ground game.  There are no disturbing lost balls or severe unplayable lie penalties for shots hit on or very near the correct line.

Would anyone consider it reasonable to have a 50 foot evergreen with branches so low that they lay upon the ground in the center of a fairway?  

Doug- You're describing the old Fort Ord courses, before the changes. Huckaby's reaction to your well thought out post will be interesting.

BTW, I concur with any intelligent use of trees, all else is a mis-use.

[THuckaby2]

In general, Doug is very correct - trees with branches going all the way to the ground don't work very well, is it makes for far too penal golf.

At Fort Ord - Bayonet, the entire reason for the course's existence was to be an incredibly unfair, unrealistic, overly penal test.  Thus at that course, and that course only, it worked very well, and today'd watered-down version of the course just leaves one cold.

How's that, Adam?  

[cary lichtenstein]

At our course, a beautifully shapped airy pine died that was 20 yards in front of the green on a 407 par 4.

They replaced it with 2 palm trees, that look stupid and come into play 10 times more than the pine because of their big tops.

The greens committee in their wisdom think they are great, so go figure.