[Bobcuse]

We are blessed with the beauty of huge old oak trees throughout the Villages. I am sure oak trees need some careful pruning to maintain their health, but I am dismayed to see what is happening to some of these beauties on our championship golf courses. I called the facility manager at one of the courses about 18 months ago after they aggressively trimmed a gorgeous oak behind our home to ask why they had to cut it back so severely. His response was that they were having trouble with the condition of one of the greens, and by trimming the tree they hoped to solve the problem. He also said it was common practice on all the courses to "limb up" these trees periodically. Two weeks ago, a truck pulled up to the very same tree and a crew proceeded to butcher what once was a gorgeous tree (see photo).

Now before all of the negative posters jump on this post, I am well aware that these trees are the property of the golf courses and they can do whatever they please, even cut down the trees if they wish. I am merely pointing out that the butchering of this ancient oak tree was likely done to quiet some complaining golfers who were having problems making par because both the tree and the green looked healthy. I have friends who play the course who told me the green is fine. Shame on whomever made this decision. It took about three hours to ruin a 100 year old beauty.

[dotti105]

Wow, they really did butcher that oak!!! It is unfortunate. The trees lining Buena Vista near LSL are so incredibly beautiful and the occasional old oaks scattered about are one of the things that make TV so beautiful.

I agree with you that they overdid it. And it is a shame. Golfer driven, most likely. But golf courses are designed to incorporate naturally occurring "hazards", so I truly don't understand the over pruning.

Maybe they will leave this one alone now and let it continue to grow, maybe filling in some of the outside lower branches. Some moss would help too. I bet she was a beauty!

[Serenoa]

If they are "having trouble with the condition of one of the greens" because it's too close to the tree, then MOVE the dang green a few yards.

But I guess that would make too much sense & be too costly. Much easier to just fire up a chainsaw & butcher the old tree that was there many, many years before the all-important golf course was designed & built.

Idiots.

[graciegirl]

Let me see. Am I a golfer, an arborist, a homeowner who can see this tree or a non partisan observer?

I am a golfer.

[pooh]

Old live oak trees sometimes do have heavy limbs that can break and fall.... just pure weight or internal problems with those limbs. Remember what happened at Heron a bit ago....two golf carts were damaged. Luckily no one was hurt.

[BobnBev]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Let me see. Am I a golfer, an arborist, a homeowner who can see this tree or a non partisan observer?

I am a golfer.

And your point is.........................?

[justjim]

Looks like the tree got a nice short haircut. We could tell more if there was a before and after photo. OP seems really upset and that is her/his prerogative. My observation over the last eight years is that everything possible is usually done to save any beautiful oaks.

I know specifically on the recently open Palmetto executive course they redesigned the course just to be able to save a stand of Oak trees. I was told the original design was to have 3 par fours. If you play the course you will notice a putting green between the 1st and 2nd hole---this was suppose to be the tee box for a par four but was changed to save a group of oak trees.

Perhaps by trimming the tree it was saved. There could be more to the story but I do know that changing the location of a green could cost 40k - 50k maybe more.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Let me see. Am I a golfer, an arborist, a homeowner who can see this tree or a non partisan observer?

I am a golfer.

As a child of the 60s I will declare myself a tree hugger. Peace out.

[graciegirl]

Never hugged a tree. Do know that we do NOT own trees that are not on our property and do understand that limbs can fall on people and that greens are terribly expensive to move. Usually a green is NOT put that close to a tree, but now that I think of it, there is a huge oak close to a green on Bogart. It hasn't been touched as far as trimming.

Pooh is right that an oak limb gesmashed a golf cart last year on Heron.

I love the way the oak trees look and this is a very unusual example of a tree very overtrimmed. I haven't ever seen one like this .This is a first for me.

I don't think it is a trend. Do YOU?

A real golfer wouldn't ask that the course be made easier. A real golfer plays the course the way he/she finds it.

What does the golf course management say?

[borjo]

I think this oak looks better than those that are shaped all the way around and look so rounded and precise. I'm embarrassed for the tree when one of them gets a trim job all over. This one might not look too bad in 10 years.

[Pepperhead]

On the other side of the coin, I used to work at a golf course that took extra precautions to protect some trees. Every tree that was a feature of the hole's design had lightening rods on them. In other words, if the tree affected your decision on how to play the hole, it got protection.