[Kalen Braley]

Or perhaps they could plant another tree right next to it about 10 yards away and you have to put your 2nd shot thru the uprights like that hole at Sahalee in WA state, (can't remember the #).  

Its the perfect mix of golf and football.!

[Steve Pieracci]

To take up the spirit of another current thread, if you could plant a tree somewhere on a particular hole, which hole and where?

Visually this reminded me a lot of the 17th at Sandiway a Ted Ray/Harry Colt course in Cheshire.  Here, however, the hole is only 305 yards and it is a great hole to encounter at this stage of the round.  

Rich,
I think you could put a tree in just about any fairway.  You'd ruin allot of golf holes, and I am by no means advocating this.  Depending on the size of the tree, and its position in the fairway would determine the affect on different skill levels.  I know of another hole that the center tree is not an obstacle for low handicappers (#4 @ Cinnabar Hills Canyon), but creates havoc on shorter hitters.  It is poorly designed with no room left and some room to the right.   I just don't care for the "vertical impediment" trees create.    For me, they are difficult to negotiate, and just make the hole visually more difficult.    

[Bob Jenkins]

Kalen,

The hole you are thinking of at Sahalee is No. 2 North, which is hole 11 for tournaments. Vijay got the magical kick off one of those trees in the final round of the 1998 PGA.

If, as someone said, the tree in the fairway is hit by lightning or dies, obviously the whole character of the hole would change. But is it really different than having a hazard such as a bunker in the middle of the fairway? I thought of BD No. 5 (which is a hole I love). Hit is into that hazard and you would be very lucky to be able to get home in 2. Keep it right or left and you are in great shape.

I do agree that this hole at Stanford seems long for that kind of hazard. A 330 -350 yard hole where you make a choice would be more appropriate.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I do agree that this hole at Stanford seems long for that kind of hazard. A 330 -350 yard hole where you make a choice would be more appropriate.

As Thomas of Huckaby mentioned above, the hole generally plays shorter than its listed length because the tee is elevated.  If this hole were 330-350 yards, the trees would need to be a grove of sequoias to influence shots played in the direction of the green.

[Kalen Braley]

Thanks for the hole # Bob.

The par 5 13th at Saddle Creek in Copperopolis has a giant Oak tree right in the middle of the fairway, at least it did 7 years ago when I played it last.  It made the hole pretty tough but it did have some strategic value.  Get past the tree and you could get home in 2, otherwise you pretty much had little to no chance.

[Kevin_Reilly]

PS, for the sake of Bill McBride and other men of like character reading this thread, I can't let all these positive statements about SGC go without one reminder (my new license plate...approved by the DMV a couple of weeks ago...awaiting pickup):

[Bill_McBride]

PS, for the sake of Bill McBride and other men of like character reading this thread, I can't let all these positive statements about SGC go without one reminder (my new license plate...approved by the DMV a couple of weeks ago...awaiting pickup):

That sounds like a Southern version of "Go Bears!"  You have to be salivating over 2007 based on what Cal did to Texas A&M, that was pretty brutal.   Too bad the Bears didn't play like that against either Arizona or USC, it would have been a better season.     But the Big Game was okay, victory is all that matters against The Tree!  

[Steve Pieracci]

I haven't stopped ginving crap to the Texas A&M guy here in the office.  

[Bill_McBride]

One last note on Cal Bears and Stanford, as least as it relates to Stanford Golf Club:  I was tickled to see that the tips at Stanford were red and the front tees blue and gold.  Very amusing!    And very reflective of the rivalry between those two great universities.

Do any other college courses have such discriminating tee markers?

[Kevin_Reilly]

One last note on Cal Bears and Stanford, as least as it relates to Stanford Golf Club:  I was tickled to see that the tips at Stanford were red

Bill, surely you meant "cardinal" instead of the pedestrian "red"?  

[Mike Benham]

Kevin -

If you are putting those on the car that I assume you are, then it won't matter what you put on the plates, no one will be able to read them as you zip by at an above the speed limit pace ...

Mike
BMW XXII

[Bill_McBride]

One last note on Cal Bears and Stanford, as least as it relates to Stanford Golf Club:  I was tickled to see that the tips at Stanford were red

Bill, surely you meant "cardinal" instead of the pedestrian "red"?  

I suppose they might have been, I was a bit too boggled to study them quite THAT closely!

[Kevin_Reilly]

Kevin -

If you are putting those on the car that I assume you are, then it won't matter what you put on the plates, no one will be able to read them as you zip by at an above the speed limit pace ...

Mike
BMW XXII

That would be a "Yes"....and I thought you were an MMII?

[Tom Huckaby]

Kevin - allow me to apologize for my fellow SCU alum's appalling lack of Roman numeral knowledge, and assure you this is no reflection on our common education.  He does indeed have a MMII.  The only XXII having anything to do with cars is likely the gas mileage these will never attain.

 

[Kevin_Reilly]

Note my quotation of his post, so Mr. Smooth couldn't edit his shocking mistake.  BMW 12...the MPG of the newest M5 (downhill on a freeway).

Back to the tee block colors question...does the Scarlet Course at tOSU use this sort of convention as well (with Michigan colors for the back tees)?

[Tom Huckaby]

Note my quotation of his post, so Mr. Smooth couldn't edit his shocking mistake.  BMW 12...the MPG of the newest M5 (downhill on a freeway).

Back to the tee block colors question...does the Scarlet Course at tOSU use this sort of convention as well (with Michigan colors for the back tees)?

Now Kevin, since fair is fair and I must also support my fellow alum as well as point out his errors, of course you know that XXII is TWENTY-TWO, not twelve, right?  I'll assume this is a little typo among friends.

Good question re Michigan/OSU though...

 

[Kevin_Reilly]

Note my quotation of his post, so Mr. Smooth couldn't edit his shocking mistake.  BMW 12...the MPG of the newest M5 (downhill on a freeway).

Back to the tee block colors question...does the Scarlet Course at tOSU use this sort of convention as well (with Michigan colors for the back tees)?

Now Kevin, since fair is fair and I must also support my fellow alum as well as point out his errors, of course you know that XXII is TWENTY-TWO, not twelve, right?  I'll assume this is a little typo among friends.

Good question re Michigan/OSU though...

 

LOL, touche!

[Mike Benham]

Note my quotation of his post, so Mr. Smooth couldn't edit his shocking mistake.  BMW 12...the MPG of the newest M5 (downhill on a freeway).

Back to the tee block colors question...does the Scarlet Course at tOSU use this sort of convention as well (with Michigan colors for the back tees)?

Now Kevin, since fair is fair and I must also support my fellow alum as well as point out his errors, of course you know that XXII is TWENTY-TWO, not twelve, right?  I'll assume this is a little typo among friends.

Good question re Michigan/OSU though...

 

LOL, touche!

Yep, my boo-boo but since said car is sitting in the garage under boxes, Christmas decorations, old golf clubs, I haven't looked at the license plate lately.



And as a side-bar to the tips at Stanford GC being "Cardinal" in color, the front tees, some may call them the ladies tees, are Blue and the next set are Gold[/i] ...


And to not stray to far from the original topic, here is a photo of from the 12th tee in 1930.

[Bill_McBride]

Amazing, that tree was BIGGER in 1930!

[Tom_Doak]

I am not totally surprised that the tree was bigger in the old days.  A tree actually in the middle of a fairway is subjected to all kinds of pressures ... mowing over its roots, fertilizer and chemical applications around it, ball abuse ... that it is bound to be unhealthy.

I also understand all the various reasons why, sooner or later, building around a tree is a bad idea.

But what about sooner?  If the tree is going to transform a hole for twenty years before it dies, why not enjoy its twenty good years and THEN solve the problem with bunkering?

I always think about that big elm on the tenth hole at Winged Foot East.  My life would be something less if Mr. Tillinghast had cut it down when he built the place.

However, generally speaking, I would rather let a specimen tree defend one side of a golf hole, instead of leaving it right in the middle of all the traffic.

[Bill Gayne]

Below are pictures from a golf course that I really like and has some surprisingly interesting architectural features. However, if it was up to me I would fire up the chainsaws on this hole.

From the tee. Note the tree behind the oak in the fairway. If my memory is correct the tree is about 230-240 from the tee. The hole is 475 yards long.



The next picture is from the fairway with a good portion of the green blocked.

[Jon Spaulding]

With the bay area intellect here from SCU, I'm surprised that the tree in the middle of Pasatiempo #16 fairway has not come up......MacKenzie's favorite par 4 I believe. It was very strategic given the hazards off the tee, the dogleg, and the approach shot relative to the green complex.

Amazing that that it has not been replaced. Here's a link to the famous old photo of 16.

http://www.julianpgraham.com/galleryPasatiempo.htm

[John Kirk]

Jon,

I don't think that's right.  I believe that tree, about 175 yards from the center of the green in the right rough, is still there.

[Bill_McBride]

Jon,

I don't think that's right.  I believe that tree, about 175 yards from the center of the green in the right rough, is still there.

That tree is definitely in the rough, no where near the center of the fairway.  I've never felt it is in play, as the preferred angle into #16 is from the far left side of the fairway.

So would this be #15 MacKenzie is playing?  Something isn't connecting, maybe it's the absence of trees.

[John Kirk]

And to not stray to far from the original topic, here is a photo of from the 12th tee in 1930.

Mike,

The prominent tree in that photo is a third tree in the 12th fairway, which fell down 40-50 years ago, and was finally replaced by a smaller valley oak in early 2003.

For strong players, that tree can be carried off the tee into the slot left of the two famous trees in the middle.  For women, the third tree is more problematic.

See the small pot bunker directly in front of the green?  Right smack down the center line of the green.  This bunker no longer exists.  Just think of the cries of discontent should they decide to restore this feature.

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