Headingley GC 10 years ago vs now

[rudebhoy]

Interesting read. They have removed 3000 trees and it seems to have gone down well.

Our place also has an abundance of trees, and they have started a programme this winter to remove a good number of them, which will help to keep the course drier as well as not being covered in leaves.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1627702187227770881

 

[Neilds]

Not an expert but how will removing trees keep the course drier? I would have though the trees would take up water so more trees = less water?

 

[Dando]

it looked better before

 

[rudebhoy]

Not an expert but how will removing trees keep the course drier? I would have though the trees would take up water so more trees = less water?

My understanding of the rationale at our place was that removing some large trees would allow more wind and sunlight to get to certain parts which were normally shaded.

 

[Deleted member 25575]

My understanding of the rationale at our place was that removing some large trees would allow more wind and sunlight to get to certain parts which were normally shaded.

This is exactly what our place is saying, not that they are removing trees but thinning out the wooded areas from lower branches and shrubs

 

[Teebs]

My understanding of the rationale at our place was that removing some large trees would allow more wind and sunlight to get to certain parts which were normally shaded.

Indeed, same at my place. Also improves pace of play depending on where the trees were.

 

[Robster59]

We have done the same at East Ren. The course was designed without trees, and then the Scottish Forestry Commission put in thousands of trees in the early 70's.
It is now agreed that in a number of areas this was not a good thing to do.

• The trees were conifers and so did not pull up moisture from the ground.
• The trees actually kept sunlight and wind off the course and so the ground could not dry up properly.
• The roots were actually causing damage to the drains on the course.

Since a considerable number of trees have been removed, there is more light and airflow to the fairways, they have dried up dramatically and the difference is tremendous.
We used to have real issues with water on our 18th Fairway. Since removing the trees all down the side of the fairway, it has dried up totally and has improved dramatically.

Trees may look nice but they don't always benefit a course.

 

[Neilds]

We have had to remove some trees (willow) as the roots were too invasive and blocked up the drainage pipes. They are being replaced with tress with different root structures.

 

[Jigger]

I must admit I’m surprised to see tree removal rather than additions. Personally I find I need to look for balls longer in long grass than I do in well cleared copses.

 

[Robster59]

If we remove trees, we have to plant new ones to replace them. We just plant them in less obtrusive areas. I did suggest planting bonsai trees.

 

[Bratty]

Not an expert but how will removing trees keep the course drier? I would have though the trees would take up water so more trees = less water?

No, trees don't work that way.
Imagine a pond with a couple of willow trees around it. Does that pond drop significantly because the willows are sucking up all the water? No.
Airflow, sunlight good water supply and drainage are the best things for grass, neither of which are helped by trees if they're too close to the fairway/green/tee.
Huge copses of trees are bad for the trees themselves, as none can grow properly of invaded by tens of others.
Trees grow upwards, but another grow outwards too and over time, if not maintained, will encroach on the original architecture of the course. We hadn't done any woodland management in 20 odd years at our place, and some fairways were hugely narrowed and shot shaping on some holes became impossible.
I love what we've done at Westerham, although not all the members feel the same!

 

[Voyager EMH]

The two photos are deceptive. After tree removal the photo is taken from "further back" making the remaining trees appear much smaller and less significant and the foreground "barer".
I've played around with the pics and there is clearly some difference, but that difference appears less significant when the images are brought more into an equal view.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Over-enlarging the second view to make the point.

 

[Barking_Mad]

I play Headingley occasionally and it's a really good course. Can't say I played before the trees were taken out though. I'd imagine it was much more difficult because some of those fairways have a big camber on them and are difficult to hold, especially in the summer.

They also (recently) removed the two trees guarding the 18th which in my view was a mistake as they were a true obstacle, and now there's nothing to stop you whacking it off the tee with little concern for where it ends up.

I don't really like trees being pulled up. Painful to see. But hey ho.

 

[rulefan]

They also (recently) removed the two trees guarding the 18th which in my view was a mistake as they were a true obstacle, and now there's nothing to stop you whacking it off the tee with little concern for where it ends up.

I agree but think they were pretty elderly and maybe dangerous.

 

[Barking_Mad]

View attachment 46597
View attachment 46598

Over-enlarging the second view to make the point.

Yeah, they're not like for like but then again they have removed 3000(!) trees. I'd be interested to see the effects on local wildlife. You can't do that and not have it change for the worse?

 

[Barking_Mad]

I agree but think they were pretty elderly and maybe dangerous.

If they were rotten/in danger of falling over then fair enough.

 

[Maninblack4612]

now there's nothing to stop you whacking it off the tee with little concern for where it ends up.

Which explains how, when I played there last year, I was hit on the foot while putting out by the tee shot of the young pro playing in the group behind us.

P. S. Didn't like the course much, too many side hill lies.

 

[Maninblack4612]

A couple of the courses where I play removed a lot of trees in 2021. Then along came storm Arwen & took out a lot more. They're now replanting so, in about 30 years, the courses will be back to normal.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I remember at the planning stage of the Woburn Golf Courses people were objecting to cutting down the trees for enviornmental reasons.
It was a bloomin' pine forrest, very little grows, flies or lives there after the trees mature.
5 years after the build bio diversity on the site had explodes by many factors.