[T_MacWood]

Here are examples of the divergent view of trees over the years. Early on trees were condemned completely, but as the years went by their use became accepted, although their proper use was debated:

W.Park-Jr
Trees are never a fair hazard if at all near the line of play, as a well-hit shot may be completely spoiled by catching the branches.~~1896

Macdonald
Trees in the course are a serious defect, and even when in close proximity prove a detriment.~~1906

I read much about ideal and classical courses; I used both terms when I dreamed of the National, but I should like to make this distinction—no course can be ideal which is laid out through trees. Trees foreshorten the perspective and the wind has not full play. To get the full exaltation playing the game of golf one should when passing from green to green as he gazes over the horizon have an limitable sense of eternity, suggesting contemplation and imagination. This does not mean that a classical course cannot be laid out where trees are or when there is not the Atlantic, the Pacific or the North Sea to contemplate; but there is a vast difference between the ideal and a classical course. Yale is classical; St.Andrews, the National Golf Links and the Lido, the Mid-Ocean are ideal.~~1928

S.Thompson
In clearing fairways, it is good to have an eye to the beautiful. Often it is possible, by clearing away undesirable and unnecessary trees on the margin of fairways, to open up a view of some attractive picture and frame it with foliage…Open areas may be demarked by the judicious grouping of trees, which may define the fairways or act as a screen to hide some undesirable feature. Often times the natural beauty of many of a golf course, which the average player assumes was always present, has been created by the skill of the engineer who can see opportunities for beauty in the rough woods, swamps or fields that mean nothing to the unskilled eye.~~1923

A.MacKenzie
There are many debatable questions regarding general principles which occur to me, such as the value of tree hazards. There are many fine golfers who unhesitantly condemn trees on a golf course, their argument being that there are no trees on an old sand dune course. This is so but, on the other hand, on a n inland course the only way, except at enormous expense of providing hazards as high as sand dunes, is by the use of trees in groups.

Most of the best inland courses owe their popularity to the grouping of trees. Groups of trees are the most effective way of preventing players reaching the green with their second shot after playing the drives in the wrong direction. No bunkers guarding the green seem to be able to prevent them doing so.

Trees should not usually be placed in a direct line with the hole, as they block the view too much. They make an excellent corner for a dog-leg. Firs, pines, cypress, silver birch and California oak make beautiful back grounds for greens, All these evergreens are suitable for a golf course, while on the other hand, deciduous trees make a mess and look out of place.

Playing down a fairway bordered by straight lines of trees is not only inartistic but make tedious and uninteresting golf. Many green committees ruin one’s handiwork by planting trees like rows of soldiers along the borders of the fairways. Alternative groupings of trees, planted irregularly, create most fascinating golf, and give players the opportunity of showing their skill and judgment in slicing, pulling round, or attempting to loft over them.~~1933

M.Behr
And it goes without saying that trees lined to hem in fairways are not only an insult to golf architecture, but the death warrant to the high art of natural landscape gardening, aside for the fact that, of all hazards, they are the most unfair.~~1952

HS.Colt
Trees are a fluky and obnoxious form of hazard, but they afford rather good protection, and if a clump of these exists as such a spot it might well be considered justifiable to leave it standing.

In cases where the ground is covered densely with trees, it is often possible to open up beautiful views by cutting down a little additional timber. In such cases it would be unwise merely to clear certain narrow lanes which are required for play. The “landscape” effect should also be studied, and although great care must be taken not to expose any unpleasant view in the process, every endeavor should be made to obtain a free and open effect. Swinley Forest, St.Georges Hill, and Stokes Poges may be cited as cases in which tree cutting has greatly improved the views, and in the case of the two first-mentioned clubs a great deal more felling has been done than would have been necessary from a purely golfing point of view.

On the other hand, where very few trees exist every effort should be made to retain them, and in every case the architect will note the quality of the timber with a view of retaining the finest specimens.~~1920

CH.Alison
If you have any planting to do, do it at the start. Trees take a long time to grow. It may be desirable to plant out the parking space and caddies shelter, and to mask roads, unsightly buildings or railways embankments. It is also desirable to to have trees near teeing grounds, and on any large, open space, provided that they will not block a desirable view.~~1921

T.Simpson
Trees and bushes add enormously to the decorative value of the landscape, but are for the most part unsatisfactory as obstacles.~~1950

AW.Tillinghast
Trees of the better sort, well shaped and really fine specimens, are admired and loved by the vast majority of people in all walks of life, everywhere. Those unfortunates, who remain cold and impassive in the presence of the nobles of the forest, have something wanting in their make-up something that would make them happier. I find the greatest joy of my profession in working among the trees, for I can not conceive an inland course without them.

Certainly some of the most notable and charming courses have been constructed on land which was more or less heavily timbered. Naturally many trees have been removed in the process of building….Usually the twisting of a fairway through timber brings to view prominently fine trees along the sides, which previously have been rather lost in a general tangle. And here may it be remarked that fairways should be rather irregular in shape and not like bowling-alleys extending through the woods…So must judgment be used in removing trees, to the end that every possible beauty be featured so long as it does not interfere with the sound play of the game. Certainly the necessity of lofting over a barrier of trees cannot be countenanced although this situation still exists  in some sections of the country and naturally the course are of antiquated design. But play through woods should not be over done, It may be quite monotonous. Introduce just enough for variety.~~1932

D.Ross
As beautiful as trees are, and as fond as you and I are of them, we still mist not lose sight of the fact that there is a limited place for them in golf. We must not allow our sentiments to crowd out the real intent of a golf course, that of providing fair playing conditions. If it in any way interferes with the properly played stroke, I think the tree is an unfair hazard and should not be allowed to stand.

On the other hand, there is no need to ruthlessly cut down everything before us. If it can be arranged so that holes are slightly elbowed, trees can frequently be spared. On hot summer days they are most welcome, especially around tee boxes.

G.Thomas
While trees are generally considered poor hazards, nevertheless they may be properly utilized in some cases, but should not be used as carrying hazards. Rather adapt them as impssible carries which must be gone around, often giving reward for such play.

Trees and shrubbery beautify the course, and natural growth should never be cut down if it is possible to save it; but he who insists in preserving a tree where it spoils a shot should have nothing to say about golf course construction.

Generally speaking, adjacent fairways should be divided by rough and traps and the planting of trees; but on small tracks, where the holes must be close together, this ofttimes impossible, and is a very strong additional objection to fairways which are close together.~~1927


W.Flynn
The pleasantest type of course is one where the holes are segregated, that is where the hole you happen to be playng is well apart from the others. In order to have this kind of course it is necessary to secure property that is already wooded or to do considerable planting of trees.

The old idea was to have golf courses as free of trees as possible. This notion, no doubt, was imported from Scotland because when golf was first taken up in the United States we knew very little about the game and modeled our courses on those of the Scotch which were, for the most part, built along the seashore where there were no trees.

It is impossible to conceive that the "Canny Scots" would have denuded their courses of trees if there had been any there originally.

Today the old ideas have been discarded and the prevailing belief is that trees, most emphatically, have a fixed place on a golf course. This is true for many reasons:
       
First-Because there are few, if any, sites available that are devoid of trees and it is a very costly operation to cut them down and remove them. Second-Trees add beauty to a golf course forming picturesque backgrounds and delightful vistas. Third-Their shade is most refreshing on a hot summer day. Fourth-They are of great practical value in segregating the various holes.~~1927

[TEPaul]

Tom MacWood:

That is an excellent and well balanced series of quotations from the well known usual suspects of the "Golden Age of Architecture". Thank you. In my opinion, you should put a short preface on that list of quotations and place it permanently into the "In My Opinion" section of this website under the title "Golden Age Architects' Opinions on Trees" for all to refer to in the future. Many of us have used most of those quotes on here at one time or another but it's much more useful to have an entire list of them like this. The collected opinions seem to be relatively consistent on how trees can be used in golf architecture and how they can be overused or misused.

[ian]

I agree with Tom about putting that in the "In My Opinion" section. It's quite staggering when seen together. I have used a couple of the quotes in the past, but the impact is far greater all together.

You can obviously see where this would be helpful to anyone who renovates golf courses, so I ask your permission to copy and use this with green's committees in the future.

Ian

[Adam_F_Collins]

Yes, it might be nice to compile similar comparative lists on a few commonly discussed subjects, like trees, water hazards, blind shots, etc.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom MacWood,

It's certainly a neat presentation.

My only concern is if each statement represents the totality and final position of each architect's opinion on trees.

Architects perceptions, concepts and opinions change over time, and it's not unusual for people to take multiple or conflicting positions.

It would be interesting to see if each architect's opinion, as stated in your thread, was constant throughout their career, or changed during the course of their career.

As an ideal it would be neat to compare each of their works, in a chronological order, based on aerial photos before construction began, and on the first day the golf course opened, to see how they used or removed trees in conjunction with their stated design principals.

Good post.

[Phil_the_Author]

Tom,

Very well done. I would love to see you expand it with quotes from modern day architects such as C&C, Doak, Jones, Fazio, Engh, etc...

It would be interesting to compare their thoughts as well as seeing how ecological requirements impact on these.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Phillip Young,

In many areas a vegetation clearing permint must be obtained.
In other areas, trees with diameters above a certain number must be preserved, unless dispensations are granted.

It's certainly a different environment today.

My concern is the plantings done over the years by green committees, arbor committees and boards.

Any one of the architect's Tom MacWood quoted may have left their golf course in a condition that radically differs from what exists today.  But, trying to undo the work of rotating amateur arborists isn't a simple process.

[T_MacWood]

Here are few more examples. Horace Hutchinson was probably the first to recognize the positive possibilties of trees. Simpson and Tillinghast describe the advantages of skyline greens and how trees can ruin the effect. And some additional tree related observations from Colt and Alison.

HG.Hutchinson
These forest courses [New Zealand, Woking and St.Georges Hill] have done another thing for us, they have taught us the value of a tree as a golfing hazard. Our forefathers would have scoffed at the idea of a tree on golf links, although there was for many a long year of opportunity for the golfer to find trouble in the trees which came out threatening the course at a certain point at North Berwick. But then they did not have their actual roots in the soil of the links itself. They were outside it, over the boundary wall. But the opportunities which the tree hazard gives for those subtleties of slicing and pulling around, or of cutting the ball up with a very vertical rise, let those who have seen Harry Vardon on a course of this tree-beset kind bear witness. And the tree has at least this virtue: that it is permanent. It does not get trodden down and hacked out of existence by a niblick as the faint-hearted whin does.~~1914

HS.Colt
But the park must be large, and the soil light, to enable one to lay out a good course. There is of necessity a feeling of restriction when playing the game with a 6-foot oak paling on every side…The sense of freedom is usually one of the great charms of the game, and it is almost impossible to lay out a big, bold course in a park unless the it be of large dimensions, and one needs some three or four hundred acres within the ring of fence to prevent the cramped feeling.

The trees are, however, always a difficulty. It is hard to condemn a fine old specimen oak or beech because it comes into the line of play. At Stoke Poges one fine old beech-tree caused me much unpleasantness. It was, unfortunately, right in the line of play of what has, perhaps, turned out to be a satisfactory short hole, with certain amount of character about it.     We tried our best to save the tree, but in the end there was no way out of the difficulty, and it had to go.~~1912

On 'Forest Courses':
It is essential to make the clearing bold and wide, as it is not very enjoyable to play down long alleys with trees on either side, and better effects can be obtained from a landscape point of view if this be done.~~1912

CH.Alison
We have noted some points of differences between inland courses in the United States and Great Britain, but the general aspect of such courses is much the same in either country. We are somewhat better off for trees, but Americans are enthusiastic tree-preservers and tree planters, and their park courses are pleasantly wooded…As a matter of personal taste I would choose come of our heather courses in preference to park courses in either country. This taste is shared by many, but a taste it is, about which argument is impossible.~~1950

T.Simpson
A good example is that afforded by the 17th at Woking. Tee shot should be placed on the extreme left of the fairway on account of the bunkering on the right of the green and the double tilt, or fall of the green. The visible background is a wood a hundred yards behind the green. Between the green and the wood the ground cannot be seen, and in that lies the glory, the devilment of the design. These terms are synonymous.

You would only have to put the wood immediately behind the green to destroy the merit of the second shot, for the trees would then focus the green and enable you to judge the distance of the second shot with some degree of accuracy, which is now very difficult to do.~~1950

AW.Tillinghast
May not a solitary tree in some instance detract from the value of hole in a measure? For example, in the case of a green played directly beyond the slope of a hillock and sharply defined against the sky. Barren of any nearby object, such as a tree for instance, the distance of the shot to the green is much more difficult to judge with accuracy than it would were there a tree or standing forth against the sky at the crest.~~1931

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom MacWood,

I'd be curious to know what AWT and others thought about the tree that guarded the 10th green at WFE.

The last statement you quoted from Tillinghast is the very reason I endorsed removal of the tree behind # 15 green at NGLA

[TEPaul]

Patrick:

Tillinghast obviously admired the magnificent tree behind the green at the hole at WFW that was named "The Elm". Tillinghast wrote about that hole and that tree's significance to the hole's character.

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

The huge elm wasn't behind the green.

It interfered with incoming approaches and recoveries.

Perhaps it was quite small when AWT last viewed it.

[T_MacWood]

Pat
I don't know...what did Tilly say about the elm?

I added a Colt comment on designing courses through forested site.

[Cliff Hamm]

 


D.Ross


 On hot summer days they are most welcome, especially around tee boxes.

Couldn't agree with Ross more.  No matter how one views the architectural value of trees, it is bad enough to wait to hit your tee shot but even worse in 90 degree heat.  There should always be a nice shade tree to stand under near the tee.

Cliff

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom MacWood,

We'll have to ask TEPaul, he's the one who said that AWT wrote about it.

[Neil Regan]

Pat Tom Tom,

This is the great elm at Winged Foot in 1925, in a photo taken by the clubhouse architect Wendehack. The case can be made that Tillinghast and Wendehack used this tree together to tie the clubhouse to the course. From this photo, you can see clearly that the tree was an integral part of the clubhouse design. The clubhouse seems to bend around the tree. The green itself is also clearly of a piece with the tree and clubhouse. It is the 10th green on the East course. The unusual routing of 10 and 8, instead of 9 and 9, is more evidence that this tree was the anchor for the entire 36-hole site. Wendehack liked this view so much that he also painted it in a color picture of his clubhouse. (That picture reveals that Wendehack was no golfer. The grass on the putting green is lawn-high.)
   For the golfer. this was the most benevolent of strategic trees. The hole is a short par-4, and the shape of your 2nd shot was constrained from the right side by the tree, and from the left by the steep bunker. From the tee, all options were available, but only half those options from either side of the fairway. From the right, the low shot demanded by the tree was rewarded by a green that can feed the ball to all points left. But a mis-struck high shot, 9 times out of 10 I'd say,jostled through the huge canopy that leant over more than half the green in latter days, and landed somewhere on short grass.



This is the green today. The putting here is as wonderful as ever, but a tee shot to the right can now be followed by as high a shot as you care to try.





Here is a picture from 1929 of the 2nd hole on the West Course, named Elm. Tillinghast wrote about this tree. I don't have the words in front of me right now, but I believe he said that the effect he desired was achieved by removing the other trees near this elm, including another elm of significant but lesser stature.

[Phil_the_Author]

Then there is myfavorite Tilly tree story -

In February of 1931, Tilly wrote an article in Golf Illustrated titled, “Trees on the Golf Course.” He wrote how, “More than twenty years ago, Mr. Chandler Egan won the championship of the United States at Baltusrol. I played him in the first round of that tournament and at the end of the eleventh enjoyed a lead of one hole. After pour drives to the twelfth it looked for a brief moment as though my lead might go to two for my ball rested in the fairway within a short pitch to the green, while Mr. Egan had unleashed an unholy hook into a real jungle. How he ever got a club to that ball, or what manner of club it was, matters not, but that ball came out plenty. It would have continued its mad flight for a lot more than the player had hoped had it not come into violent contact with a lone tree, which grew immediately by the side of the green for no good purpose. After sampling nearly every branch of that tree for a good place to alight, the ball finally decided on a nice spot on the green itself very close to the cup. The birdie three evened the match which it had looked like two down a moment before. In memory that tree was coupled with one of my life’s darkest moments. Some years later, I had been retained by Baltusrol to remodel the course and extend it to its present thirty-six holes. One day the late Mr. Louis Keller, then of the Green Committee, heard the sound of axes eating into a half dead tree and hurried over to investigate. Nearby he found their golf architect looking on and smiling contentedly as he stood on the old twelfth green.”      

[TEPaul]

"We'll have to ask TEPaul, he's the one who said that AWT wrote about it."

Pat:

I assume it was Tillinghast who wrote about the elm on "The Elm" hole at WFW but maybe it was the Wolffes and Trebus, they wrote "The Course Beautiful". You'll find it mentioned in Chapter 7, where whomever wrote that chapter mentions it's beyond the green. From the photo and apparently Tillinghast's description of it it doesn't seem to have been small either. It is mentioned that some other smaller trees were removed around it to highlight it. There's a ton about the use of trees in architecture in that book--Chapters #7, 13, 14, 17 18.

One thing seems obvious from those early days, and seems obviously reflected in some of those quotes above---that is the Architects who were not originally linksmen were using trees in various ways in architecture. The reason seems obvious too---they were beginning to work on some heavily wooded sites in America and perhaps in England. The linksmen never did that because there weren't trees on the linksland sites!!

[T_MacWood]

I believe I read somewhere that Tillinghast referred to that magnificent tree as a 'Champagne glass' elm...which would be appropriate for Tilly

[Patrick_Mucci]

Neil,

The two grand trees, the one on 10 E and the other on 2 W influenced play in different ways.

I'v'e played Winged Foot E & W since the 50's and was lucky enough to see the evolving influence of both trees.

The angle of the green relative to the approaching fairway at # 2 East made it a difficult approach, especially in carrying the front right bunker.  Since # 2 was a longer hole, and is even longer today, the canopy of the tree is less invasive to the flight of the approach shot due to the trajectory of the approach shot and the configuration of the green.

On # 10 E, the tree was far more invasive, far more an impediment to approaching shots.  There was an almost damned if you do, damned if you don't strategy to the hole.
Drive left and avoid the influence of the tree and face a more difficult visual, and interceding bunkers.  Drive to the right and risk the canopy interfering with the flight of the ball.
Drive further right and risk the rough and your ability to control a low running shot to a narrow opening.

It was a unique dilema, absent water or out of bounds.

The hole played easier on the scorecard then it did on the golf course.

I don't think that AWT ever envisioned that the tree as presented in the picture you posted would ever interfere with the flight of incoming approach shots to the extent it did.
Especially after knowing about the incident at Baltusrol.

[mike_malone]

 Ron Forse's article in Master(s) of the Links --titled "To Tree or Not to Tree?" could be an excellent adddition to your commentary.

[Neil Regan]

I'v'e played Winged Foot E & W since the 50's and was lucky enough to see the evolving influence of both trees.
...
I don't think that AWT ever envisioned that the tree as presented in the picture you posted would ever interfere with the flight of incoming approach shots to the extent it did.
Especially after knowing about the incident at Baltusrol.

Pat,

   I suspect that AWT might have envisioned the great growth of the tree, but would have argued for trimming the lower branches more to maintain that champagne-glass shape, like we do today with our other great elm on 2 West.
  Your  point is especially relevant to the 2nd elm. A few years ago, as you know well, we recovered significant pinnable green space in the back corner under the elm. At the same time, we trimmed the lower branches significantly. The tree had grown quite full. It is more elegantly maintained now, and healthier for that. It must still be considered when approaching the green, and especially so when the pin is in the back below the leaves. There is now plenty of clearance for most shots, but not all. See the pictures below.

This is the elm near the end of its 3 century life, circa 1990, next to the Photo by Wendehack, 1925
Painting by Jesse Hyde, courtesy of the Scottsdale Collection



This is the elm on 2 West in 2000 and in 2004

[Bob_Huntley]

Here are examples of the divergent view of trees over the years. Early on trees were condemned completely, but as the years went by their use became accepted, although their proper use was debated:

A.MacKenzie
Trees should not usually be placed in a direct line with the hole, as they block the view too much. They make an excellent corner for a dog-leg. Firs, pines, cypress, silver birch and California oak make beautiful back grounds for greens, All these evergreens are suitable for a golf course, while on the other hand, deciduous trees make a mess and look out of place.

Wot about the 17th and 18th at Cypress Point, mate. It looks like a bleeding obstacle course.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Bob Huntley,

Great example.

I suspect that what they wrote in general terms often differed from their field practices in specific situations.

This wouldn't be the first time an architect's work contradicted his written words.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

To be added to the list?

Walter Travis referring to Ekwanok GC, Manchester, VT

"trees of any kind are non existent--as they should be"

Tom M.

[T_MacWood]

Bob
MacKenzie said "usually".

Lynn
I definitely need to add some quotes from Travis.

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