Trees Impeding on or Being In the Fairway

[MSchott]

I am not a fan of trees in the fairway. IMO it's lazy architecture. They are too penal for the high handicap golfer and if you land behind the tree or hit it and get a bad bounce the penalty is too severe.

But the worst part is there is zero reason for a tee shot aimed at the middle of a fairway to be penalized. Sand traps are a different story as you have the option of laying up with only the penalty of a longer second shot. You can't lay up short of a tree unless it's perfectly placed to the short side of a dogleg.

[SavvySwede]

I am not a fan of trees in the fairway. IMO it's lazy architecture. They are too penal for the high handicap golfer and if you land behind the tree or hit it and get a bad bounce the penalty is too severe.

But the worst part is there is zero reason for a tee shot aimed at the middle of a fairway to be penalized. Sand traps are a different story as you have the option of laying up with only the penalty of a longer second shot. You can't lay up short of a tree unless it's perfectly placed to the short side of a dogleg.

You can always lay up to a tree, just hit a club you know won't hit the tree. Sure, you may have a tree 30 yards in front of you for your second shot but there is always a way around.