Some of the members at Olympia Fields Country Club might have breathed a sigh of relief when a 100-foot oak tree that had stood for nearly a century in the 11th fairway of the South Course was toppled during a storm in 2020.
A mature bur oak had been in the fairway of the hole named "Lone Tree" since before Tom Bendelow designed the Chicago-area course in 1916. Architect Andy Staples was in the midst of developing a master plan and overseeing a restoration for the South Course when the tree came down. Rather than rework, and maybe rename, the 11th hole, Staples suggested the unthinkable — transplant another mature oak tree from out-of-play to the vacated spot in the fairway.
"The course was designed by Tom Bendelow. William Watson and Willie Park did work here, and they left it there," said Olympia Fields director of grounds Sam MacKenzie, CGCS. "Andy was adamant that we had to stick to the original design.
"We don't just remove trees. We planted one," he joked.
They gave me the ability to move that tree. I saw the pitch, and I took a swing.
The project illustrates how important tree-management programs can be on golf courses.
"Tree-management plans are an opportunity to showcase the right tree in the right place," Staples said. "I wouldn't go out of my way to design a hole around a tree like that, but that is the way that hole was designed."
The Phoenix-based architect has a punch list of considerations when developing a tree plan:
- Agronomics: Introduction of air, relieve shade and introduce sunlight.
- Safety: Remove dead or dying trees and overhanging limbs.
- Arborist's report: Assess the health and location of trees and what trees should be planted.
- Non-native species: They have to go.
- Plant trees: Choose the right tree for the right location.
- Perseverance: Know that what you are doing is right and that those who are objecting to a tree plan are doing so out of emotion, not what makes a better golf experience.
Because golfers often have emotional ties to specific trees, and local government officials or environmental groups might object to tree removal, it is best to have an ally, namely a golf course architect.
"You have to be systematic and thoughtful," Staples said. "You have to understand the game of golf, and you have to understand agronomy.
"Every project I'm involved in includes planting trees, too. It's about choosing the right trees and planting them in the right place. We're not just about going out and removing trees. It's about making the golf course better."
"Getting the architect on board is a huge help in that regard," MacKenzie said. "The club hired him to improve the property strategically from a golf standpoint."
Located 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, 36-hole Olympia Fields property covers 345 acres, much of which is undeveloped woodland. MacKenzie estimates 40 percent to 50 percent of the trees on the property are various species of oak. In his 18 years at Olympia Fields, MacKenzie has taken down his share of trees, virtually all of which were targeted because they were dead or dying, or were adversely affecting turf health.
"My guess is we've taken down 3,000 to 4,000," MacKenzie said of that 18-year span.
Although those trees were targeted for good reason, selling tree-management projects can be a challenge.
One such challenge was the oak in the 11th fairway of Olympia Fields' South Course.
"The board asked for my ideas for that hole, and they told me not to let cost change my mind," Staples said. "I'd already been working with the club for a while. We had photographic evidence that Bendelow had routed that hole around that tree.
"They gave me the ability to move that tree. I saw the pitch, and I took a swing."
Moving the replacement tree place was no small task. The tree that eventually was chosen was so large, it took crews from Environmental Design, a tree-location service based in Tomball, Texas, four days to move it 100 yards using two backhoes. Environmental Design is the same company that famously moved a cypress tree on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach more than 20 years ago.
The Pebble Beach tree was 67 feet in height. MacKenzie estimated the oak at Olympia Fields at 100 feet or more. Moving it required root pruning so workers could form a sort of root ball. The tree then was rolled to its new location over what MacKenzie described as several long balloons, adding the process was similar to the ancient Egyptians moving massive limestone blocks to build the pyramids of Giza.
"There were a lot of people who were pretty skeptical and thought the tree would die," Staples said. "It's healthy as a horse."
Aside from transplanting a bur oak from the periphery to the middle of the 11th fairway, Staples' restoration of the Olympia Fields South Course included taking down a few dozen others.
"We took out a lot of brush and some trash trees," he said. "But the main initiative was to showcase the property."
"Andy looked at the golf course strategically," MacKenzie said. "It was about adding vistas and opening up the golf course."
The course was designed by Tom Bendelow. William Watson and Willie Park did work here, and they left it there. Andy was adamant that we had to stick to the original design.
Elliott Dowling, East region director for the USGA Green Section, recently wrote about developing a tree-management program and offered the following considerations:
- Tree removal is often a necessary part of effective tree management on a golf course, but it can be a very emotional subject.
- Having objective criteria for evaluating trees makes discussions about removal more productive and less contentious.
- Safety is the most important consideration. If a high-risk tree is in an area that people visit, it should be prioritized for removal.
- Negative impacts on turf conditions, architectural intent and routine maintenance are also important factors for removal.
- When carefully planned, tree removal can enhance the health, environmental value and attractiveness of the overall tree population on a course by removing trees that are not a good fit.
As a superintendent, MacKenzie's main concern when managing trees is a simple one.
"For me, it's easy to make decisions for the health of the turf," he said. "That's the No. 1 factor for me.
"It's about giving the grass what it needs. That's now an easy sell for me."