“I have spent years studying the virtues and liabilities of trees in golf and have never run across the "leak factor".”
Dunlop:
One must live and learn right? It does seem a pretty unexpected thing to have to consider but who can deny it’s a prickly, uncomfortable or even painful reality? I will wager not a single “tree remover” of the type of Oakmont’s Mark Studer ever considered the exigencies of the “leak factor” of treeless golf courses.
And I don’t know who’s going to be commentating at the Open, whether it will be Miller or Feherty or McCord or Faldo but I do think we definitely need to make them aware of the “leak factor” problems of Oakmont, at least in an architectural context.
Perhaps we can get them to recommend some “technique” such as fellow competitors and caddies surrounding the “leaker” sort of the way Europeans do when they change at the beach.
Maybe Kelly Tilghman can even weigh in with some type of semi-disguised “squat” technique for women “leakers” on treeless golf courses. My recommendation is that they "squat" next to their golf bags and pretend to be fishing around for a new glove or ball or lipstick or whatever.
I believe the linksland has been yearning for the day when America would once again look back to them and turn to them for some significant advice on golf and architecture and the “leak factor” on treeless golf course may offer that opportunity for the first time in perhaps a century.
“It will be interesting to see how the announcers reference the tree removal program at Oakmont during the Open telecast.”
Patrick:
It certainly will be interesting to see what the commentators say about the massive tree removal at Oakmont. All I will guarantee is that it will definitely be a big topic prevalently discussed.
The other thing that will probably be prevalently discussed at Oakmont is the green speed they run or at least attempt to run. This very much worries me because I’ve heard from an unimpeachable source what they would like to run if they can and if they’re able to, it too will be a prevalent topic of commentary and it's going to send a really dangerous message to the world of golf.