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Foreword

to the First Edition

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 overvalue them. Rather, the problem is that we have not had good informational 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, author of this book, realized the lack of information on golf course trees when he served as chair of the Scarlet Golf Course Restoration Committee and as chair of the Green Committee for The Ohio State University golf courses—six holes on 300+ acres with lots of trees and tree issues. As is typical of most golf courses, there were few trees on the OSU property when the courses were built in the 1930s. Then, after World War II, seemingly everyone involved with the golf courses—including course superintendents, staff, coaches, green committees, golfers, and university officials—felt compelled to instigate planting more trees. By the 1990s, as many of the trees reached maturity, it became clear that they were either the wrong trees, were in the wrong place, or both, and, thereby, were adversely affecting the golf course and golfing experience. But a tree, once it reaches a certain size or stature, becomes somewhat sacred to a number of 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 degree in agriculture from OSU with majors in both agronomy (turfgrass science) and horticulture (landscape horticulture) took a more objective and balanced view of trees. However, when he proposed scientific reasons for tree renovations or removal, without golf-course-specific information sources he could use to convince folks what was the right thing to do, Scott faced stiff opposition. So he decided to write a user-friendly text to help others involved with trees in the home landscape and on larger properties such as golf courses.

The result is a book that doesn’t just look good on the bookshelf. This book should become a well-used source of information to improve the health and beneficial qualities of trees.

In school we are taught that a “weed” is any plant out of its proper place: 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 was a monstrous silver maple, with a girth of perhaps 80 to 90 inches, growing on the fourth tee at Scioto Country Club. The tree was not only degrading the turf on the tee through the normal negative influences of the shade that it produced, but its many surface roots were forcing the green’s staff to hand water the tee more frequently in order to keep it uniformly green. Furthermore, the tree, as well as greatly complicating the daily maintenance of the tee, limited and reduced its effective size. The maple posed another problem—a threat of wrist injury to golfers taking a divot. In a more suitable location, this maple would have been revered; planted where it was, it was only loathed. Intellectually, almost everyone agreed the tree presented a significant problem that could only be solved by its removal, but they found it emotionally difficult to allow that to happen. But, happen it did, and now the tee and the entire golf hole are so dramatically improved that almost no one misses or even mentions that maple. Instead, they wonder why the tree wasn’t taken out long ago.

So put Scott’s knowledge to work for you. Use his experience, intellect, and insights to make your large or small property better.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Hurdzan, Ph.D.

ASGCA

Hurdzan Golf Design