"As beautiful as trees are, and as fond as you and I are
of them, we still must 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 a
properly played stroke, I think the tree is an unfair hazard and
should not be allowed to stand."
- Donald Ross, from Golf Has Never Failed Me
Donald Ross was speaking to the impact that trees have on the playability of the golf course and how trees impact a properly played stroke. Not only is the physical tree a hazard to the player but its root system, impact on air circulation, shade, leaf litter, and competitive nature are a hazard to turf quality and in turn golf course playability.
It is true that Willow Oaks Country Club not only takes its name from the great Willow Oaks on the property but also uses those specimen trees to highlight and define its golf course. Less than five miles from the Virginia State Capitol, the parkland style course with tree lined fairways allows for seclusion and a feel of being one with nature along the Jame River. The trees need to define the golf course without detriment to the turf. Tree removal on the golf course is a balancing act. Don't remove
enough trees and you will have an unsafe environment and poor turf conditions. Remove too many trees and you upset the balance of the
golf course as well as the membership. This is the delicate balance that we try to achieve during tree removal.
A lot of factors go into a decision about a tree.
- The desirability of the tree based on its species
- Golfer safety
- The general health of the tree, including 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 surrounding trees
Simply stated regarding removal; there are trees that have to be removed due to safety and trees that the Green Committee has decided to remove based on one of these eight factors.
An example of a tree that has to be removed due to safety is the large co-dominant oak to the right of number 14 fairway. This large oak died and is now infested with ambrosia beetle. Ambrosia beetle is a secondary pest that enters the tree once it is dead and bores tunnels through the wood. This can create worse conditions than the dead tree alone.
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| The left side of this co-dominant tree is completely dead and is a huge safety hazard. |
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| You can see the piles of saw dust where the ambrosia beetle has entered this tree. These pests weaken the wood of the already dead tree and cause a bigger safety concern. |
An example of trees that have been removed based on a green committee decision are the trees between 10 and 12. These trees have been removed based on turf quality, playability, and tree health. The removal of these trees will allow for the other trees in this area to flourish and allow for the planned turf renovation of this area in the 2012 growing season.
Here is a link to the 2012 planned projects.
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| The before picture of #10. The large leaning pine in this picture was struck by lightning this year. |
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| The missing pine dominates this picture but many trees were removed to improve growing conditions for the turf that will be planted during the renovation of this area. |
Trees are scheduled to be planted this year to replace removed trees in certain areas of the golf course. This allows us to properly choose the species and spacing of these trees. Look for these plantings in 2012 and how they will impact our environment and the golf course.
