“Questions From The Chat” is a series derived from the Beyond The Contour Slack group chat, where technical questions evolve into a worthy topic of extended discussion from architect Ben Malach.
In what might be one of the fastest golf Slack chats in the country, questions get bogged down in the onslaught of messages and discussion that occurs daily. That said, a topic caught my eye one day from Beyond The Contour contributor Alex Hunter:
With it being almost one year since the trees fell around the 17th tee at Augusta National, have you noticed an increased interest from clubs around tree management? What are some things that go into a tree management plan?
I am disappointed to report that all that I noticed about the topic of tree management after the incident last year was a short and flippant discussion around the issue. I wish it had spurred a deeper conversation around one of the most controversial subjects in the game, as the courses we play may not be Augusta National, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn from this hard and dangerous lesson.
Let us delve into the heart of the issue, and then move out from there. Trees are, first and foremost, seen as a valuable pillar of our environment and a good indicator species. This perspective isn’t entirely wrong, but rather, an oversimplification. Trees dominate the conversation because of scale. Instead, if we are looking at environmental health and bioindicators, we should be looking for biodiversity and for our courses to embrace their natural environment by having a wide diversity of native plants. These are the things that truly encourage a healthy natural environment that can sustain a broader community of flora and fauna. We will pick this point up later, but it’s an important factor that most miss when discussing just discussing trees.
Also missed and glossed over in the discussion of trees is the goal of having the healthy trees at their best. To do that, golf courses must have a program for managing them, similarly that superintendents and grounds staff manage every other part of the landscape. My favourite quote from a superintendent, paraphrased:
I cut my greens every day, I cut my fairways three-four times a week, I cut my rough areas once or twice a month, I get to cut my trees once every five-ten years.
Golf courses are a living organism, with each above area falling under the umbrella of a superintendent’s responsible. Yet, trees are the most neglected parts of the golf course. True, you might think, “well Ben, if we cut trees every year, there will be no trees left!” but not so fast. The first assumption is that a tree plan is tree removal, but not the case. A tree plan also includes limbing trees—the act of removing dead and low-hanging branches to reduce the load on the crown—and lots of other small things to improve the quality of the trees on the golf course. These are the very things that led to the trees falling at Augusta: the trees were so closely formed that they acted like a sail in the wind, overloading the roots and causing them to come tumbling down.
Step I: Inventory & Physicals
The first step in any tree plan is taking inventory of the trees on site and their health, for the reasons outlined above. The scariest moments on a golf course have not been hanging the backside of a bulldozer off a cliff in Mexico… instead, being in a thicket of near-dead trees with over wind loaded branches as I observed the precipice of a collapse. Of course, I can control my machinery, but trees—and nature in general—have a mind of its own, and if one of those trees fell, well, I wouldn’t stand a chance. It is important to remember trees are occasionally places people seek shelter in the very weather events that cause tree falls, so maintaining these to improve safety is crucial.
Step II: Executing a Plan
Once we have an inventory of the trees on the golf course, we need to implement and oversee a plan to maintain the healthy trees on property. First, we look to remove the trees deemed dangerous or unsafe in an event (or, worse, unsafe on a ‘normal’ day). This is specifically targeting trees that are cause for concern; no golf has been considered… yet. Simply put, these are trees that the parks and recreation department at your local park would remove, also.
Next, looking to remove trees that have a deep impact on turf quality is the logical next step. Who doesn’t want better playing conditions? Problem trees do one of three things:
- Steal sunlight from turf. All the technology and innovation in the world, and yet, nobody has developed a grass that can grow in total darkness.
- Block and trap airflow. Grasses are just like us—living organisms—and need an exchange of air to grow.
- Encroaches upon and steals resources from the grasses. Anytime water or fertility products are used, the investment should go into the plant that is being actively managed and played on. Trees and grass fight for those resources if trees are not properly kept at distance.
As a fun fact, tree roots are almost as wide as they are tall. So, if a tree is 40 feet tall, there will likely be roots stretching out 40 feet as well. These roots can become problematic not only as they leach resources and thin the turf, but can damage mowing equipment, golfers, and can become a hazard for those enjoying the game. The worst part? They are a hidden hazard, sitting below the surface and only recognizable after taking a divot.
Keeping these three points in mind and understanding the philosophy we adapt, identifying trees and removing the problem ones effectively, never truly impacting the overall character of the golf course. That is, unless trees were planted in a careless and overly structured manner, which means a larger strategy that relates to golf
With this philosophy, we can identify trees and remove the problem ones effectively without truly impacting the overall character of the golf course. Unless the trees were truly planted in a careless and overly structured manner, and then the golfer might see some differences with mass clearing.
This is when we need to apply a larger strategy that relates to golf’s place in the environment. Golf should represent the localized match meadow matrix of the local environment. This might seem like a high-level concept to apply to the golfing landscape, but I think it’s an important one for more golfers to understand as the successional nature of the landscape is an important concept lost on most people who do not have a background in ecology. In simple terms, it merely means that the environment evolves in stages, and normally this evolution (succession) forms pathways that open into meadows. These are, for our purposes, golf holes. Now, if the goal of great golf is for the golf to blend seamlessly into nature, we need to encourage this succession to define our golf holes like the natural meadows of that landscape. Meadows are, after all, grasslands, and at the end of the day golf holes need to be ensconced in grasslands to properly function or else the context for the existence of grass reads false to our minds. The goal is to mimic the intermediary or secondary succession in the landscape.
Tree removal not only enhances the quality of the turf, but that of the golf course’s connection to the natural landscape. As a result, hopefully it also enhances the natural appeal and beauty of the site. In doing a comprehensive tree plan, it helps with three core areas of the golfing environment. First and foremost, it is a matter of safety. The secondary impact is that it enables us to be more targeted with our resources as the grass has less stress from a competing plant. Then, the tertiary impact of creating a more connected environment that enables the flourishing of grassland plants and species. These are some of the most threatened plants in our environment as grasslands are a prime target for greenfield development… there is not much stopping them from being paved and turned into a parking lot.
If you are looking for a simple way to improve your golf course, it might be time to look at the trees and think about their role in how they affect your golfing experience. Perhaps it is time for a nip and tuck to improve the overall health of your trees and the golfing environment, and as a result, get a better product.