I'm not a fan of vertical hazards. This one forces you to sling a ball from left to right or right to left, a difficult task with modern equipment.
Not defending this tree....but
In a world where we constantly spend to build deeper picture perfect bunkers (with perfectly fair crushed rock from a quarry in Ohio)
where amp the greens up to ridiculous speeds at great expense and effort,presumably for challenge (another topic)
where we grow "native" which is rarely native, usually unplayable unless great effort and expense is expended,
where we glorify shotmaking and central hazards,
where we continually push tees back to challenge these "experts"
Isn't the use of an occasional vertical hazard (where agronomically sound) refreshing and a different challenge?
Pete Dye made great use of several of these at Long Cove especially #11,(and yes Harbour Town is severely overtreed now)
and many courses are far more interesting due to occasional vertical doglegs rather than bunkers or worse yet long grass