Terry makes a fair point
I always enjoyed many of the specific holes at HT, but felt too many of the holes had the same look and the overall feeling was a bit claustrophobic and a difficult environment to maintain bermuda grass outside the winter/spring rye grass overseed season leading up to the event, leading to poor summer turf conditions-still a prime tourist season for HHI.
This analysis is dated however I have not been to HT since the early 90's and I'd like to believe they've done a lot of tree work since then, when it was sorely needed.
That said, I always preferred the variety Long Cove presented vs. the nearly one dimemsional HT.
(LC certainly has better and further away houses
.)
I like trees on a golf course in the appropriate setting and I enjoy treeless courses.
I don't like applying the "the original course didn't have trees" philosophy as a benchmark.
Many of our inland golf courses were built on farmland, stripped of their trees hundreds of years ago.
That doesn't mean a few specimen and strategic trees can't be replanted to their former environment.
The game has evolved massively in 100 plus years-not sure why courses themselves can't evolve as well.
ANGC had far less trees in 1930 when they were building it, but there were hundreds of saplings around in the earliest photos of the course. Somebody assumed those would grow into mature trees, and no doubt that somebody had a purpose.
Some of the most iconic areas of the course are defined by those very trees.
And yes they have gone overboard in recent years, filling the "second cut" with smaller trees with many encroaching limbs that inhibit bold and creative play, as well as making spectating far less appealing than it once was from many areas.
The good news is a few areas have had trees removed(11, right of 9) so perhaps there is hope.
No doubt trees always need management, with pruning, removal of diseased ones, removal/pruning of trees encroaching on play or those causing shade/turf problems.
Blanket statements("cut 'em all") bother me though and fads tend to go too far.
Then the inevitable question of what to put in their place("native" gunch etc.)
It takes a long time to grow a great tree, and we are in a supposed era worldwide of increased sustainability.
Trees and vegetation also curb runoff and erosion.
They also can make interesting and satisfying vertical hazards.
Sean is right-most courses don't have the resources to manage their trees and clear cutting tends to be a rich man's issue.
Moderation seems to be key.