Ski Area Management, one of the most respected, intelligent, and important magazines in the winter sports world ran my story about how ski area golf courses can improve their designs with minimal cost. They really made it look good. And – BONUS! – Mt. Snow is renovating their golf course right now and over next season as well. We’ll have that story as well as well as an introduction to the architectural firm working on the project.
Here’s a short excerpt for your enjoyment:
“Cut down the trees. Fact: you can grow trees or you can grow grass, but you can’t do both. Tree roots suck up water vital for the health of the turf everywhere on the golf course. And too much shade is unhealthy for the greens.
Oakmont Country Club, host of nine U.S. Opens, started the modern trend of tree removal. Once a treeless site outside Pittsburgh, the Doldrums Era saw Oakmont and other courses plant lots of trees. Before long, every golf hole played through a tunnel of trees. Playing angles were reduced significantly, while the tree roots appropriated the water necessary for the health of the turfgrass, especially greenside. Eventually, Oakmont had to cut some trees or stop hosting Opens. So trees were cut, turf conditions improved, and playing angles increased. Both the 2007 and 2016 U.S. Opens were wild successes. The rest of the golfing world saw all that and followed suit.
The takeaway: Remove trees that have no architectural purpose. One specimen tree strategically placed is, occasionally, palatable. Otherwise, trees are a nuisance. Clear cut as much as you can, and watch how fast the turfgrass improves.”
We’ll have more on the Mt. Snow story soon. Until then enjoy the PGA Championship.
