James,

How many trees did they take out on the inside of #8?  I last played there during the Anderson Memorial last July, and that was the one hole I was curious to see how the pros played it.  A year ago, I thought it was the most awkward tee shot on the course.  The ideal drive, although difficult, was a high cut over the trees on the right.  It was one tee shot that my initial thought was..."the pro's will hate this drive."  Which isn't neccessarily a bad thing.

Oh...I thought that there had been some tree removal since last year in that area.  

If it hasn't changed, then it remains one of the most awkward tee shots on the course.  I think it may be the only tee shot that will require players to hit it over trees if they want to be more aggresive.

Laying back to the corner is an easier tee shot, but it will leave the player with a very long approach shot to a difficult green.

How many trees did they take out on the inside of #8? ...The ideal drive, although difficult, was a high cut over the trees on the right.  ...

Jamie,

  Several big old trees came down this spring because they were hazardous. High winds during the removal period demonstrated the necessity of removal. Many large limbs and several trees were blown down.

  You will remember the trees on #8 which are now gone. They were among the ones that caught your shot and dashed your hopes if you tried to hit the shot you mentioned and thought that you had gotten away with a less than perfect shot. Your ball would go high over the tallest trees at the beginning of the fairway, but catch some high branches just as the ball was about to come back into the fairway. Sometimes you could hear the contact just when you thought you were safe. Two of those big old trees came down. They won't have a huge effect, though, because there are still several trees in that area of the woods.

JSlonis:

When you say "blast it over that corner" -- I have to ask who will do such a thing?

The height of the trees still in place is quite daunting -- it's like having Shaq right in front of you for a lay-up.

Players are going to need to slide tee shots to the right -- frankly I don't see the overall demands of that type of ball flight to be as quite vexing as what you will see on the 16th and 18th holes respectively because moving a ball consistently and accurately right-to-left is a bit more demanding -- you can hold your hand position for a fade but rolling it too quickly for a draw is an entirely different matter.

...I realize that there is a new tee at 475-485 yards.  I'm not actually sure if I played that hole from the new tee.  I think I may have played from the old back tee at about 450.  From that tee, I recall hitting a high cut shot over the corner edge of the right trees.  From the new tee at the extended length, this probably is no longer a viable option.

Jamie,

  It is possible, perhaps not wise. From the new tips, a ball must carry at least 280, and 300 if the shot is pushed at all. And it must be above the tallest trees at 270 yards, which is a high trajectory indeed.

  The left side of the fairway provides a better angle for most of the more difficult pins, especially those over the spine. The shot to the back right pin from the right side of the fairway will reveal the strength of Winged Foot to any golfer. Ask Gene.

  I don't have the evidence to back up this story, but maybe somebody does. I am told that when the pin is left over the long spine that enters midgreen high from the right-side bunker and runs to the back left, Mr. Nicklaus prefers his miss to be deep in the right bunker, perhaps even preferable to many spots on the green itself. I know a good bunker player can often win a closest to the pin challenge from there against a putt from the front, which might bend 40 (!) feet as it tries to ride the ridge left and finally fall right. That putt can fall left, leaving maybe 3 more.