Trees

[tonyt]

Great thread.

And a nice file of quotes to pull out when one desires for future reference. Among all the pro-tree quotes from great architects (both here and seen elsewhere), what they all seem to have in common is in reference to framing, practicality and beauty and imply the major caviat of no present or future interference in their objectives for a hole's/course's look and playability.

[Jim_Coleman]

    As one of the few on this cite who believes that trees are a legitimate way to punish a wayword stroke, I take comfort in MacKenzie's observation,
    "Groups of trees are the most effective way of      
     preventing players reaching the green with their second
     shot after playing the drives in the wrong direction."
I couldn't say it better myself.  On the great links courses, you have gorse and brutal fescue to punish you if you miss a fairway - a punishment that leaves the player with one option, to wedge out.  Why the cogiscenti here object to using trees to punish a wayward drive on a parkland course (see, e.g. ANGC, Rolling Green GC) is beyond me.  
     Hail Dr. Al!!

[tlavin]

I'm a big tree-chopper who believes that all junk trees and any other trees that infringe on playablility or health of turfgrass ought to be removed, but reading and relying on these quotes from the golden-era golf architects is a bit like reading the Bible and cherry-picking verses.  Like everything else in society, the pendulum on tree planting swung way too far in favor of haphazard, tunnel-vision tree planting.  

I would guess that the hacking at Oakmont represents the opposite swing of the pendulum. One can only hope that there is a happy and relatively permanent medium that can be reached, but I think it is probably naieve to think that one should "restore" all golf courses to the way they were originally built, especially in terms of trees.

I suppose that some would consult their "WWDD" bracelets and ask what would Donald Ross do?  The answer is that Ross allowed the planting of hundreds, if not thousands, of trees during his decades at Pinehurst.  He presumably did a good job of locating the plantings.

[Rick Shefchik]

Love the first Tilly quote. Not only does he endorse trees, but he says there's something desperately wrong with the emotional makeup of anyone who doesn't agree with him.

Too bad he didn't live long enough to contribute to this board. He'd have fit right in.

[TEPaul]

"Love the first Tilly quote. Not only does he endorse trees, but he says there's something desperately wrong with the emotional makeup of anyone who doesn't agree with him."

Rick Shefchik:

I love that quote of Tillinghast's too but check out the date he seemingly said that---it was in the 1930s and according to Tom MacWood at that point Tillinghast probably couldn't be trusted on anything as he was selling his architectural principles to the PGA of America!

[Mark Brown]

Great info

Pete Dye is very fond of trees on many of his courses. Harbour Town's primary design feature is trees and without them it would quite boring. After 35 years of growth however it is bordering on the ridiculous, particularly for the average golfer. It's time to trim.

Long Cove also has its share of trees but not nearly to the extent of Htown. I know RTJ felt they were not fair hazards as the ball could go just about anywhere, but in the Carolina Lowcountry it's hard to take down the massive gnarled live oaks that could tell many a tale if they could talk.

[T_MacWood]

Great. Jim Coleman reads MacKenzie's comments and he believes he is condoning penal architecture like the tree pinching at ANGC.

TE
You are off by a few years.

[Jim_Coleman]

    I feel that I have two new friends: the two Mac's  -  Kenzie and Wood.