Man's Friend or Golf's Enemy?Treeshave long been known to hinder healthy turfgrass growth,but solving tree problems can be a difficult and touchy issue.by DAVID A. OATIS

Trees by Joyce KilmerI think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree.A tree whose hungry mouth is prestAgainst the earth's sweet flowing

breast;A tree that looks at God all day,And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in Summer wearA nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;Who intimately lives with rain.Poems are made by fools like me,But only God can make a tree.

''As beautiful as trees are, and as fondas you and I are of them, we still mustnot lose sight of the fact that there is alimited place for them in golf. Wemust not allow our sentiments tocrowd out the real intent of a golfcourse, that of providing fair playingconditions. If it in any way interfereswith a properly played stroke, I thinkthe tree is an unfair hazard andshould not be allowed to stand."

- Donald Ross, fromGolf Has Never Failed Me

JOYCE KILMER had no idea ofthe damage that trees can inflictupon golf courses when he pennedhis immortal poem, "Trees." This is

a poem that many adults can quote orat least recognize immediately, and it isthe epitome of how many people feelabout trees.

Fortunately for golfers and golfcourse superintendents, master archi-tect Donald J. Ross also commented ontrees. In his book Golf Has NeverFailed Me, Mr. Ross spoke volumes inhis simple, straightforward statement.Many courses would do well to take hismessage to heart. America has a loveaffair with trees, and there is much tolove. Trees provide us with many prac-tical and environmental benefits, andthey are a phenomenon of nature thatmost find fascinatingly beautiful. Plant-ing trees is an enjoyable pastime that

Planting trees too close together results in problems in later years. Crowded conditionsresult in neither tree developing its natural shape.

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Trees that block advancement from a hazard are sometimes referred to as double hazards. The solution in this situation isstraightforward - remove or relocate the bunkers or remove the trees.

can leave us feeling that we have madea lasting and beneficial mark on theearth. Since many of our home lawnsare small, there often is limited spaceavailable to plant trees. For golfers, it isonly natural that their tree plantingefforts frequently are transferred to thebiggest landscape they know, the golfcourse.

The ProblemMost golf courses start out or even-

tually become overplanted with trees,and they eventually begin to sufferthrough all of the associated problems.Overplanting is inevitable for mostcourses. Once it occurs, the turf de-clines, playability suffers, views arelost, and the golf course graduallyacquires a closed-in, claustrophobicfeel. A common result of overplantingis that good golf holes are made unfairor just overly penal, and they becomeless enjoyable to play. Distinguishingdesign features frequently are obscured,the original intent of design is lost, andthe altered holes wind up becominggimmicky. It is at this point - whenthe care of the golf course and theturfgrass begins taking a back seat tothe tree plantings - that the course

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begins a slow downward agronomicspiral.

Sometimes tree planting is takento ridiculous extremes. This often issomething that happens at courseswhere a "tree committee" or a "coursebeautification committee" has beenappointed. Such committees can pro-vide an invaluable service, but they alsocan get carried away. It only makessense. After all, what is the duty of thetree committee if not to plant trees?Tree removal is often extremely un-popular, and at some courses, everytree becomes sacred, no matter howdeformed, unhealthy, or unsafe it be-comes. Trees and tree planting mustnever be allowed to interfere with thefundamental objective, which is togrow healthy, reasonable-to-maintainturfgrass on which to play the game.

Tree problems come in a variety offorms, but they basically revolvearound quantity, quality, and location.The wrong (species) tree in the wronglocation can be disastrous for the turf.It also can greatly increase the cost ofgolf course maintenance. By now youmight be concerned over the trees onyour course, and you may be wonder-ing just what you could do to determine

whether or not your course has treeproblems and just how severe they are.What makes for a good stand oftrees? How does a course assess itstree situation?

Getting StartedFor years, Green Section agrono-

mists have helped golf course super-intendents and committees pull theircourses out of the tree-induced deathspiral, but it requires plenty of hardwork and communication. Golfers andboard members who are willing tolisten and be educated are a pre-requisite. Over the years there havebeen many articles written on thesubject of trees and their impact onplayability and turfgrass health. A list ofsome of the better ones is included atthe end of this article. Reading thesearticles is a great place to start for anycourse that is ready to get seriousabout its trees.

A quick tour of any course by atrained professional can quickly revealwhether extensive tree work is needed.However, considerably more time isrequired to determine the full extent ofthe work required. Although rare indi-viduals have the knowledge and

expertise to do an evaluation withoutassistance, the most prudent course ofaction usually is to perform a systematicevaluation, utilizing professionals fromdifferent disciplines. In this manner,the different perspectives can be dis-cussed. The following are some goodpossibilities:

• Golf course superintendent• Agronomist• Arborist• Golf course architect• Golf professional• Interested committee membersThe goal should be to select a com-

mittee with varied backgrounds so allissues are considered. Starting thereview process with the proper criteriaon which to base decisions is criticallyimportant and should influence theselection of committee members. De-pending on the size of the property, thenumber of plantings, and nature of theproblem, effective and thorough treereviews may take a few days tocomplete. The work identified may beso extensive that it could be scheduledin phases over a couple of years.

Although it may seem an over-whelming task, an excellent approachoften is to evaluate each tree indi-vidually. Some courses have gone sofar as to mark each tree in one of fourways:

• Prune• Remove• Relocate• Do not touchThis time-consuming approach

forces conscious decisions to be maderegarding the fate of each tree and canresult in better decisions. Just be sure touse a non-permanent marking systemso that changes can be made easily. Italso helps if the marking system isdiscreet, as this will help avoid callingattention to the program and unneces-sarily alarming golfers. Small pieces ofcolor-coded plastic tape, stapled to thetrees, work well. Marking paint alsocan be used but can be too persistent.In the Northeast, mid/late Septemberis an ideal time to perform the review,with the work being carried out duringthe fall and winter months.

The CriteriaNext come the criteria, and this is

where many courses get off the track.There are many reasons to plant andmaintain trees, but the reasons shouldbe reviewed, especially for trees thatare having a deleterious impact on thecourse. Perhaps the first question to askregarding such a tree is, "Does the tree

have a specific purpose?" or "Is thistree necessary?" It certainly is notessential for every tree to have a specificpurpose, but this is a good place tostart for trees that are having anundesirable agronomic impact on theturfgrass. If the answer is no, thesolution is straightforward. The follow-ing are some of the appropriate criteriato be used in the decision-makingprocess:

• The desirability of the tree basedon its species

• Golfer safety• The general health of the tree, in-

cluding its form and structure• Life expectancy• The impact on playability• The impact on the agronomics of

growing turfgrass• The impact on traffic flow• The impact on aesthetics and sur-

rounding trees

A tree simply cannot be valued above ahuman life. Unsafe trees in heavy trafficareas need to be addressed quickly andshould be removed.

The desirability based on species:Certain species are inherently morevaluable than others. In fact, a guide fordetermining tree valuation has beendeveloped by insurance companieswith the help of the National Councilof Tree and Landscape Appraisers.Because of the requirements of thegame in general, and the turfgrass inparticular, many species of trees arenot well suited to use on golf courses.Fast growers, soft-wooded, or specieswith invasive roots are among the firstto avoid. Dense canopied trees thatcause excessive shade or create espe-cially severe penalties to golfers are best

left unplanted. Species that create litteror have severe pest problems alsoshould be avoided. It gets even morecomplicated because species that maywork well in one climate may be totallyinappropriate in other climates. Re-grettably, there are no perfect species,and selection often involves sometrade-offs.

Golfer safety: Safety likely is themost serious consideration whenevaluating trees. Tree failure cannotalways be predicted, but trees withobvious structural problems must beremoved, particularly when they arelocated in high play/traffic areas. Sur-prisingly often, large, damaged, severelydeclining trees are allowed to remaineven though they may pose a seriousinjury threat to golfers or maintenancestaff. This is an example of emotiongetting the best of intellect. Simply put,preserving an old, dying, and obviouslyunsafe tree must not take precedenceover protecting the health and well-being of human beings. No tree isworth more than a human life, but ifthe value of a human life is not enoughto convince some, talk to the insurer-perhaps the liability issue will!

General tree health including formand structure: If the form, structure, orspecies is poor or undesirable, it shouldbe considered for removal. Specificknowledge of trees and their growthhabits therefore is essential, which iswhy an arborist should be included inthe review process. This is not to saythat all imperfectly formed trees shouldbe removed; on the contrary, it is thenature of some tree species to have anirregular growth habit. The northernwhite pine (Pinus strobus) is just suchan example. Mature specimens usuallydisplay an irregular growth habit, oftenas a result of ice damage, which can bequite attractive. On the other hand,trees with naturally symmetrical growthhabits that are somehow damaged andwind up misshapen, should be con-sidered for removal. Trees that have tobe over-pruned for playability reasonsalso fall into this category.

Life expectancy: Most tree specieshave predictable life expectancies thatare greatly influenced by their care andlocation. A properly trained arboristcan take the myriad of factors thataffect individual trees into accountand provide an estimate of a tree's lifeexpectancy. This is not an exact science,but taking a tree's potential life spaninto consideration is helpful in long-term planning. It simply does not makesense to spend money on corrective

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Some trees, due to structural weaknesses, are not good choices. If the trees providestrategic value to the golf course, they should be replaced with a better species.

pruning, pest control, or fertilization fortrees affected by a serious or incurablemalady. Removal is usually the mostfiscally prudent decision.

The impact on playability: Play-ability can be a gray area because thereare few hard and fast rules in golfcourse architecture. However, an over-riding principle to keep in mind is that"golf is a game, not a penance," and assuch, it should be enjoyable. Trees thatunfairly penalize one segment or an-other of the golfing population may notbe appropriate. Dense canopied treeswith low branching habits (cedars,spruce, etc.) present an extremepenalty, and usually are not appropriatein high-play areas. The following area few other situations to avoid:

• Double hazards: Trees or brushlocated in or in front of hazards (e.g.sand bunkers) that block advancementgenerally should be avoided. The gameis hard enough without making itoverly penal!

• Vegetation blocking play from ateeing ground: Why build and maintaina tee that cannot fairly be used?

• Vegetation blocking play from asignificant portion of a fairway: Aplayer who has hit a ball in the fairwaydeserves a shot at the green.

• Design alteration: Indiscriminatetree planting can have an insidiousimpact on a good design. Do some ofyour tees point into the woods? Dosome of the doglegs seem too severe?If so, chances are good that trees havealtered the original intent of yourdesign.

The impact on the agronomics 0/growing tur/grass: It is a well-knownfact that trees compete effectively withturfgrass for moisture, nutrients, andsunlight. Some trees are worse offend-ers that others, and some turfgrasses arebetter adapted than others to handlethe shade and root competition. How-ever, in many situations trees and turf-grass simply are not compatible. Ifhealthy, wear-tolerant turfgrass is to bemaintained, the trees have to go.

Turfgrass grown in a shady, pocketedenvironment is physiologically differentfrom turf grown out in the open. Re-duced sunlight affects the growth habitof the turf, causing it to be more openand "leggy,"much the same as a house-plant grown with insufficient sunlight.This leaves the turfgrass more succulentand susceptible to wear injury. Underlow light conditions, the turfgrass alsowill suffer from reduced vigor. A goodrule of thumb is that grass needs at least

eight hours of direct sunlight to exhibitmoderate recuperative power, and turfthat receives extra stress, wear, and tear(i.e. greens and tees) will perform betterwith even more light. Thus, trees thatblock sunlight must be considered forremoval. All things being equal, morn-ing sun is more valuable (e.g. for dryingthe turf) than afternoon sun, so con-centrate efforts there first. Also realizethat sun angles change dramaticallythroughout the year, and performingsunlight assessment without takingseasonal changes into consideration isa major mistake.

The other major effect trees andbrush can have is in reducing air circu-lation. Reduced air circulation trans-lates to increased temperature andrelative humidity, and this favors thegrowth and development of many turf-grass pathogens. In summary, a poorgrass-growing environment creates lessvigorous turf that is more susceptibleto injury and infection. When the turfsuffers injury, whether it is throughwear, fungal infection, nematodes, orinsect infestation, the damage is en-hanced and the recovery is hamperedby the lack of adequate sunlight.

In many cases, superintendents aresuccessful in overcoming poor grass-growing environments and are ableto produce good playing conditionsdespite the handicap of a poor environ-ment. However, few will dispute theadded cost and extra effort involved.For golfers wishing to minimize the useof pesticides, the poor grass-growingenvironment will prove difficult todeal with. Failure to provide turf withits most basic needs dearly increaseslabor requirements and the use ofpesticides. It also is the limiting factorin achieving the desired level of play-ability. All of this translates into moreexpensive golf.

The impact on traffic flow: Theplacement of any physical obstructionin a high-traffic area results in concen-trated and impossible-to-manage wearproblems. When the obstruction is atree, the problems with the turf aremagnified because of the added stressof tree root competition and shade.Thus, it is recommended to refrain fromplanting trees or other vegetation inhigh-traffic areas. Keeping these areasas open and unobstructed as possiblewill result in healthier and betterplaying turf.

The impact on aesthetics and sur-rounding trees: Although it is wellunderstood that trees compete withturf, one must remember that trees also

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It takes some imagination to envision that the cute little shrub in a one-gallon container will eventually grow into a golf ball-swallowing monster!

compete with trees. It is entirely appro-priate to mass trees in some areas, per-haps to create definition or separation.However, stand-alone specimen treesalso are desirable and can havedramatic visual impact. It is not recom-mended to make every tree a specimentree, but highlighting and exposingsome of the better ones is certainlyworthwhile. Golfers will be allowedto appreciate a magnificent tree theymight otherwise completely overlook.

Many courses have hidden specimentrees that are worthy of exposing andhighlighting. Stop for a moment and tryto recall your favorite golf course trees.More than likely, you are recallingtrees that are 75 or 100 years old ormore and are exposed and unclutteredwith other plant material.

Tree spacing also should be carefullychecked. Trees planted too closely willbe sickly, stunted, and deformed, andthey will never be able to achieve theirfull potential. Even if there are nospecimen trees involved, culling out theless desirable trees may be worthwhile.The turf and the remaining trees willbenefit from the reduction in compe-tition, which also may extend the lifespan of the trees. This type of treework can enhance the appearance ofthe course since it amounts to "gettingrid of the clutter." Reducing competi-tion among trees and choosing poten-tial specimen trees for the future is awonderful gift for future generations.

High-Tech Sunlight AssessmentFor critical areas where safety and/or

particularly valuable specimen trees are

involved, it might be worth utilizing ahigh-tech sunlight assessment tech-nique. It takes all of the guesswork outof tree removal and can predict howmuch light will be gained by doingspecific tree work before the work isactually done.

Concentrate on QualityRather than Quantity

That golfers love to plant trees is asimple fact of life. Planting a tree is toleave a lasting mark on the landscapeof our courses. Memorial trees areespecially popular, particularly becauseof the emotion associated with theloss of a loved one. Unfortunately,memorial tree programs can result inemotional and indiscriminate treeplanting. When the number of monu-ments or plaques that often accompanymemorial plantings accumulates, it cancreate an undesirable cemetery-likefeel.

It must be noted that a comprehen-sive tree program must also includeplanting trees, but all potential plant-ings should be reviewed in the samemanner as suggested for reviewingexisting trees. Few programs can ruina golf course more quickly than over-zealous tree planting. There clearly aremany valid reasons for planting trees,but a good rule of thumb is to "Neverplant a tree without a specific purposein mind." Remember, planting trees canbe expensive, but the costs for yearsof care, leaf removal, and eventual re-moval are much higher. Overplantingis an expensive mistake that futuregenerations have to bear. Most courses

would do well to concentrate onquality rather than quantity when itcomes to planting trees.

ConclusionBy now, some readers may be

chomping at the bit to get out theirchainsaws. So, should you go outblindly and begin cutting trees down?No, but you should undertake a sys-tematic and unemotional review ofyour trees. Once the review has beencompleted, develop options for sched-uling the needed work. Utilizing large-scale land clearing equipment, somecourses have removed several hundredtrees in just a couple of weeks. Othercourses take a more conservative ap-proach and spread the work out overseveral fall and winter seasons. Sincetree removal work can be upsetting togolfers, it usually is best to schedule itfor the off-season.

In all likelihood, much of the workneeded will be straightforward. How-ever, there may also be some very dif-ficult decisions to make along the way.Removal of the "no-brainers" is a goodplace to start. These are the trees thathave no redeeming features, and gettingthem out of the way first usually makesthe tough decisions easier. These mightbe trees of the wrong species or oneslocated where they are interfering withturfgrass health or playability.

Next, look for any specimen treesthat might exist on the property. If theyare in good health, have a reasonablelife expectancy, and make sense archi-tecturally, carefully cull out the com-peting trees to expose the better ones.

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The products of a poor grass-growing environment include thin, weak turf, moss,algae, and increased pesticide usage.

Trees with invasive root systems, both above and below the surface, wreak havoc withthe turfgrass, golfers, and maintenance equipment.

in the future. Green Section Record. Vol.36, No.3, MaY/June 1998, p. 3.MacCloskey, J. E. What a landscape com-mittee accomplished. The Bulletin of theUnited States Golf Association GreenSection. Vol. 10, No. 7, July 1930, p. 133-136.Moore, James Francis. Fire in the hole.Green Section Record. Vol. 30, No.3,MaY/June 1992, p. 25-26.Oatis, David A. Say no to memorial trees!!!Green Section Record. Vol. 35, No.4,July/August 1997, p. 24.Oatis, David A. Using new technology tosolve an old problem: Trees. Green SectionRecord. Vol. 35, No.3, MaY/June 1997,p.20-21.O'Brien, Patrick M. Tree lightning protec-tion and how it should impact play. GreenSection Record. Vol. 30, No.3, MaY/June1992, p. 13-14.Sadlon, Nancy P. Tree snags - a tree evenan agronomist can love! Green SectionRecord. Vol. 30, No.3, MaY/June 1992,p.24-25.Skorulski, James E. A tall tale from thegreat white north. Green Section Record.Vol. 30, No.3, MaY/June 1992, p. 11-12.Skorulski, James E. Developing a tree careprogram. Green Section Record. Vol. 34,No.2, March/April 1996, p. 1-7.Snow, James T. A guide to using trees onthe golf course. Green Section Record. Vol.18, No.4, July/August 1980, p. 1-5.Snow, James T. The fall harvest. GreenSection Record. Vol. 28, No.2, March/April 1990, p. 18-19.Snow, James T. Trees, trees everywhere.Green Section Record. Vol. 22, No.1,January/February 1984, p. 1-5.Snow, James T. Trees - try somethingdifferent. Green Section Record. Vol. 15,No.5, September 1977,p. 1-9.Vermeulen, Paul. Ten timely tips to avoidtree troubles. Green Section Record. Vol.28, No.5, September/October 1990, p.15-17.Watschke, Gary A. The monsters ofManchester. Green Section Record. Vol.24, No.5, September/October 1986, p. 1-5.White, Charles B. Shady characters. GreenSection Record. Vol. 23, No.4, July/August1985, p. 1-4.Zontek, Stanley J. Sometimes mothernature needs a little help. Green SectionRecord. Vol. 28, No.2, March/April 1990,p.5.

DAVID OATIS joined the USGA GreenSection in 1988 as an agronomist in theMid-Atlantic Region and has beenDirector of the Northeast Region since1990.

Brame, Robert A. Time-lapse photographyand sunlight penetration. Green SectionRecord. Vol. 30, No.3, MaY/June 1992,p.19.Brewer, William S., Jr. A thing of beauty isa joy forever. Green Section Record. Vol.16, No.3, MaY/June 1978, p. 11-13.Dodson, Ron. The living dead. GreenSection Record. Vol. 35, No.1, January/February 1997,p. 16.Gould, David. Against the grain. GolfJournal. May 2000, p. 13-17.Gross, Patrick. Pinus plastica: A simpletool for proper tree placement: Use of atemporary "tree" can help avoid problems

Trees take a long time to grow, andthere is nothing wrong with having tocome back and revisit some of the morecomplicated situations.

Ultimately, the goal of a thoroughtree review is to promote healthier turf-grass and better playability. Properlycarried out, this comprehensive pro-gram also will create a better stand oftrees.

Additional ReadingBevard, Darin. Check the view from theback. Green Section Record. Vol. 37, No.1, January/February 1999, p. 8-10.

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