Trees are a beautiful and natural part of North American golf courses and landscapes, but in most cases they have either been taken for granted or neglected. The problem isn’t that we as golfers don’t put a high value on trees, for we often over value them. Rather the problem is that we have not had good information sources, specific to golf courses, to refer to and rely on for selecting and caring for golf course trees. Until now that is.
Scott Zanon, senior author of this book, realized the lack of information on golf course trees as he served as Chair of the Scarlet Restoration Committee and on the Green Committee for The Ohio State University golf courses; 36 holes on 300-plus acres with lots of trees and tree issues. Typical of most golf courses, there were few trees on the OSU property when the golf courses were built in the 1930s. Then after World War II, seemingly everyone involved with the golf courses, to include golf course superintendents, golf staff, golf coaches, green committees, golfers, and university officials – felt compelled to instigate planting more trees. By the 1990s, it became clear that as many of the trees reached maturity, that they were either the wrong trees, or in the wrong place, or both and were adversely affecting the golf course and golf experience. But once a tree reaches a certain size or stature, it becomes somewhat sacred to some people who subsequently resist its removal, no matter what the negative consequences it causes or potential liability it poses. Scott, who has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from The Ohio State University with majors in both Agronomy (turfgrass science) and Horticulture (landscape horticulture) took a more objective and balanced view of trees but faced stiff opposition when he proposed science-based reasons for tree renovations or removal. Furthermore, he really had no golf course specific information source he could use to convince folks what was the right thing to do. So he decided to collaborate with Horticulture professor Steve Still to write a user-friendly text to help others involved with trees in the home landscape and larger properties such as golf courses.
The result is a book that doesn’t just look good on the book shelf; it also should become a well used source of information to improve the health and beneficial qualities of trees on golf courses and in the home landscape.
In school we are taught that a “weed” is any plant out of its proper place, and that includes trees. I have seen and experienced many instances where huge trees were simply “weeds” on the golf course. Perhaps the most dramatic example of that was a monster size silver maple that had perhaps a girth of 80''-90'' that was growing on the fourth tee at Scioto Country Club. The tree not only degraded the turf on the tee through all of the normal negative influences of shade it produced, but it also had so many surface roots that it forced the green staff to more frequently hand water the tee to keep it uniformly green. In addition it posed a threat of wrist injury to golfers taking a divot. Furthermore the tree limited and was reducing the effective size of the tee, as well as greatly complicated the daily maintenance of the tee. That tree in another suitable location would have been revered but as it was, it was only loathed. Intellectually almost everyone agreed the tree was a significant problem that could only be solved by removal, but it was also emotionally difficult to allow it to happen. But, happen it did, and now the tee is so dramatically improved as is the entire golf hole, that almost no one misses or even mentions that tree, and wonders why it wasn’t taken out long ago.
So put Scott’s knowledge to work for you, and use his experience, intellect, and insights to make your golf course, large property, or home landscape better.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Hurdzan, Ph.D.
ASGCA
Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Course Design
