Gary Player's Rant on Trees

[iacas]

Watch all the way to the end, as the first 30 seconds or so is just Gary talking about how he sacrificed and would have won more majors if he lived in the U.S. Which he could have done if he chose to.

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I'll embed some tweeted responses after it won't be auto-merged with this post.

Here's a version with less opening stuff:

 

[woodzie264]

I watched that yesterday and thought his comment about winning more majors, while possibly true, was a bit audacious. His rant about tree-clearing was very uncomfortable for the commentators who, IIRC, not knowing what to say, seemed simply ignore it and move on.

I voted “on the fence” as different courses have different styles and personalities and not every course should have the wooded feel. The Old Course and links style courses are the obvious examples

Edited September 23, 2020 by woodzie264

[DaveP043]

Trees have their functions, can provide great strategic choices and challenges.  OTOH, trees grow, and the growth of trees changes the way a course plays when they grow but he goes way too far.  Trimming and/or removal can be positive for turf health, and can restore some of the original design intent.  Tree removal can go to far as well.

"All the great golf courses around the world were tree-lined"

I don't remember there being a lot of trees at Muirfield, Scotland, where Player won his first Open.  Carnoustie does have a few trees, but its far from "tree-lined".  I don't know Royal Lytham as well, but trees aren't exactly lining the fairways and greens on any of the links courses.  Are these not some of the great courses around the world?   Player is pretty well known for having very strongly held opinions, but facts don't always enter into them.

 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

"All the great golf courses around the world were tree-lined"

I don't remember there being a lot of trees at Muirfield, Scotland, where Player won his first Open.  Carnoustie does have a few trees, but its far from "tree-lined".  I don't know Royal Lytham as well, but trees aren't exactly lining the fairways and greens on any of the links courses.

You left out the obvious one: THE OLD COURSE! 🙂

[DaveP043]

33 minutes ago, iacas said:

You left out the obvious one: THE OLD COURSE! 🙂

I just picked the ones where Player won.  How could it be a great golf course if he didn't win there?  

[Golfingdad]

The tweet where the guys says Player knows nothing about course design makes me chuckle.  My absolute least favorite (well maintained) course in my area that I’ve played is, to me, very poorly designed and is a signature Gary Player course haha.

And, yes, it has some trees.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Golfingdad

[iacas]

54 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I just picked the ones where Player won.  How could it be a great golf course if he didn't win there?  

Yeah, I know. But I think even Gary Player would say the Old Course is a great course. It might be one of only about three he would say that about a course on which he never won, but…

BTW, Oakmont in 1994 vs. Oakmont in 2009 or 2016? No contest. Removing thousands of trees made Oakmont WAY better.

[ChetlovesMer]

Did you ever get on one of those rants where you are rolling along and then you look up and you realize you're all of sudden arguing things that don't even make sense? I've been there. Happened to me last night having a argument discussion with my wife. I got so dug in I looked up and realized I was arguing for shit I didn't even care about an not even making sense at that. 

I've always been a Gary Player fan, but I think he got off the rails here. 

[Archie Bunker]

I do like Player designed courses and ones that frame the holes with trees. Treeless links-type courses can be interesting too, as long as the designer has some interesting property to work with. I think a lot of courses cut down trees to make maintenance easier and speed up play. In some cases, trees are cut to improve air circulation and light around greens, which is good too. But I am a fan of courses with large, mature trees, as long as they don't get in my way😉

[boogielicious]

“I used to walk six miles in deep snow to my tree farm hauling my 23 kids in a sled with no skis on it, uphill all the way!” Then, after I got my Masters degree in botany, while on the PGA, European and Asian tours, simultaneously, I designed a signature Gary Player oak tree! The oak tree would have one more majors, but it could not move because it was PLANTED!”

and..

 

Never was a big fan of Gary, but he’s starting to turn into a Karen.

[billchao]

Your golf courses suck, Scotland - Gary Player.

He claims to be a conservationist and he builds golf courses. I can think of so many better things for the environment than a golf course. Plus, too many trees can hurt a golf course as they mature and make it harder to manage the turf, requiring even more chemicals to be put into the ground.

[Vinsk]

10 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I've always been a Gary Player fan, but I think he got off the rails here. 

Really? I can’t stand him.

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Really? I can’t stand him.

Ditto. I've never known a time when I didn't dislike him.

[Sandy Divot]

He seems to know it all, and he’s not shy about telling everyone.

[TourSpoon]

The real question is will Gary Player be sporting a Lorax Headcover to really firm up his love for the trees? 

Honestly, he could have made a fair point if he would hadn't turned it into what sounded like an extreme rant. Each course has a personality and trees have their place. The most famous tree in golf, the Eisenhower tree on Augusta's 17th, was sadly taken out a few years ago. Ike's tree had some great stories if only trees could talk. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by TourSpoon
pic

[Piz]

Trees and grass are incompatible.  Augusta National (the cathedral in the pines) is a prime example.  Without a mind-boggling maintenance budget the course could not exist as is.  I get that trees can be strategically situated...but they can also be a pain in the neck.

[Bucki1968]

Not sure if I'm right about this but wouldn't trees also absorb more water/fertilizer? Therefore taking it away from the grass? I'm not a tree hugger but I do like trees on the golf course. The only time I am in favor of removing them is when they keep the sunlight and air away from the greens. 

[mcanadiens]

The ideal placement of trees is for them to be just behind the tee box on any given hole.

That way, I can stand in the shade while I wait to hit my tee shot and then never encounter them again until the next hole.

Also. Water should stay in water buckets.

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by mcanadiens