TREES

Gil Hanse on trees Golf Digest

In the beginning, most courses in the U.S. were designed to be very expansive because there was no irrigation to speak of. Certainly that's the case with Oakmont, Winged Foot, and Oak Hill, among others. Trees weren't even in the minds of the architects. With the advent of single-row irrigation systems, the fairways got narrower because they couldn't water the entire property. So now they had green fairways that looked out of scale against the brown areas. Green Committees quite understandably added trees to fill in those areas. Trees became the standard. But over time, a lot of downsides emerged. Because trees grow, they eventually limit strategy and shut off opportunities for recovery shots. And they're terrible for grass, period. Tree removal programs began in earnest. I love trees as much as the next person, but I've learned to take a clinical, unromantic approach to take them out. Our restoration work at Aroniminck, Sleepy Hollow, and Winged Foot included significant tree removal. Members think they'll miss them, but I've never heard a single complaint once they're gone.