Is it cool to cut down saplings?

[mrjohnahawley]

Just wondering if it is acceptable to cut down saplings on a course while playing.
Recently some friends and I were at a course that had a temporary hole in place in the woods due to some construction near another hole. It was tightly wooded, and damn near impossible to throw anything besides a tomahawk. My friend promptly whipped out a camp saw and proceeded to cut down 6 or so of the saplings in what should have been the fairway. Since it is temporary I assume its not a big deal. But, if it were a permanent hole would it still be OK?

[ThePatrick]

Absolutely not. Unless they are the course designer/pro. If it had been tourney play it would have been an immediate DQ. They possibly would have looked into some kind of suspension as well. They don't take that very lightly. As DG'ers we try to be as eco friendly as possible after some obvious initial course development.

[mashnut]

Not cool, whether or not the hole is temporary. Unless you designed the hole or are under the supervision of the person who did, it's unacceptable to do anything to the foliage on the course.

[mrjohnahawley]

Not completely true, dead is removable. But I do get your point. I was really stunned to see my friend do this, but on the upside the area it was in is notoriously a spot for homeless camping.....and littering.

[BrotherDave]

What's the verdict for kicking dead branches and limbs out of your way to make your lie more comfy?

[mashnut]

Not completely true, dead is removable. But I do get your point. I was really stunned to see my friend do this, but on the upside the area it was in is notoriously a spot for homeless camping.....and littering.

What's the verdict for kicking dead branches and limbs out of your way to make your lie more comfy?

Moving stuff that's dead and on the ground as long as it's behind your lie is allowed by the rules, and not likely to change the hole. In fact, that's one easy way to make your local course look a little nicer, go out and move all the dead twigs and branches that end up cluttering up the fairways. If it's dead stuff that is still on a tree, or a whole dead tree though, not ok to move it or cut it down.

[mrjohnahawley]

I believe its acceptable. It has been a while since I played a sanctioned tournament, and I certainly havent had a chance to see the newest rule book. But, it was explained to me when I started that it was acceptable to move any sticks, branches, or other material as long as the lie itself is not moved.

[G Bud]

Not Good!! Not Good!! :thmbdown: Aside from the previously stated stuff, it is wicked bad karma!!! :doh: Respect the trees!! I make it a point to hug at least one, if not many, trees during each round. :cool:

[mashnut]

I believe its acceptable. It has been a while since I played a sanctioned tournament, and I certainly havent had a chance to see the newest rule book. But, it was explained to me when I started that it was acceptable to move any sticks, branches, or other material as long as the lie itself is not moved.

Can't move anything in front of the lie.

[optidiscic]

Never piss off the tree gods...they will branch and twig your drives and kick your disc ever so skillfully way off the fairway! Seriously, If it was a temp hole who cares just play one hole with all tomahawks...sounds fun to me! I remember a discussion about a hole that incorporated a tomahawk into design!

[Cgkdisc]

You should try not to move anything behind your lie except what is absolutely necessary during a competition. What's behind you now will be in front of the next group coming behind you. Ideally, you want the hole to play the same for everyone in the competition which includes what their discs might strike or skip off of on the ground.

[mrjohnahawley]

Yep, that is how I attacked that hole before. And I do hug a trees often. I am tree friendly, thats why I posted this to see if my opinion of my friends actions was a little over the top. Not just rule wise, because honestly we dont play competitively, so rules dont really apply there. But, eco wise, it sucks!

[trifocal]

i gotta wonder about a guy who carries a bow saw with while disc golfing.

[solomon.trenton]

i might bend a branch or two so its not smacking me in the face but ive never broken one

[ejvogie]

i might bend a branch or two so its not smacking me in the face but ive never broken one on purpose

There. Fixed that for ya :D

[Adam Schneider]

Generally, taking out vegetation isn't cool at all, but we tend to make an exception for Himalayan Blackberries. Those things are not only horrible and thorny, but a damaging invasive species to boot.

[mashnut]

Generally, taking out vegetation isn't cool at all, but we tend to make an exception for Himalayan Blackberries. Those things are not only horrible and thorny, but a damaging invasive species to boot.

If it's an established thing that a certain type of plant is fair game to take out on a course, especially if it's something like that where it's nasty to get discs out of and it tends to take over, I don't think anyone is saying that's an issue.

[NothinButChing]

saplings? dude you ruined a future hole .. does it matter? gotta think it ALL the way thru .. made the wrong decision man

[ShaZaun]

it's fine unless your a hippie......

[Peterb]

Never piss off the tree gods...they will branch and twig your drives and kick your disc ever so skillfully way off the fairway! Seriously, If it was a temp hole who cares just play one hole with all tomahawks...sounds fun to me! I remember a discussion about a hole that incorporated a tomahawk into design!

That convo was with me I think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIS9E-jAcI

and cutting down trees, or removing any vegetation, without talking with the course management is an absolute no no.

[jhgonzo]

I've got permission from the staff at Lakeshore Technical College to remove and trim as I see fit; however, I was out there the other day actively scouting new locations for an additional 9, and there would be some little guys that need to be taken down to accommodate the new holes. Fortunately, while I was scouting these new wooded holes, I noticed that numerous dead/dead-ish trees had a bright-orange spraypaint stroke across their trunks, to me indicating future removal, which made me ecstatic since I could envision the new holes sans spraypainted trees.

As far as cutting stuff down yourself during a casual round, without permission from the Park/Rec Dept or the landowner?....despicable. Heck, I bitch at my friends in recreational play when they even move a branch in front of them to get a more favorable lie.

Don't even carry a saw and cut s**t down unless you're responsible (solely or partly) for the course upkeep, and only if something has become a safety hazard or is restricting the way a hole was intended to be played.

[Lewis]

Think about it this way: your friend made a permanent destructive change to a place in the park that's only going to be used for disc golf for a single day. How many years will it take to grow those trees back after your temporary hole is barely even a memory? This was a destructive act, not a legitimate change to a disc golf hole. If this was a public park, your friend probably could have been fined for cutting down the trees. I know when my local club clears brush for a new fairway, we have to be very careful to get clear and specific approval to cut any trees and branches that are anything more than underbrush, and we've never been allowed to cut anything thicker than 4".

[BrotherDave]

What if your disc is under a dead, fallen tree, and you can't really stand behind it. Can you shift the tree over or what?

[Peterb]

What if your disc is under a dead, fallen tree, and you can't really stand behind it. Can you shift the tree over or what?

http://www.pdga.com/rules/80305-obstacles-and-relief

a suggested read for all disc golfers.

[REDARMY]

I believe its acceptable. It has been a while since I played a sanctioned tournament, and I certainly haven't had a chance to see the newest rule book. But, it was explained to me when I started that it was acceptable to move any sticks, branches, or other material as long as the lie itself is not moved.

Dead wrong. whoever told you that was trying to get you dq'ed, or just generally farking with you.

[REDARMY]

What if your disc is under a dead, fallen tree, and you can't really stand behind it. Can you shift the tree over or what?

what, is this tree on the edge of a cliff? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[BrotherDave]

what, is this tree on the edge of a cliff? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Nah, it was directly in front of another tree. It fell (lightning?) beside this other tree and my disc lands under the fallen tree and in front of the standing tree. You have to do some advanced yoga to get a foot in there behind the lie b/c the disc was under the part of the tree where the main limbs were branching off the trunk. Hard to explain.

[Noill Golf]

http://www.pdga.com/rules/80305-obstacles-and-relief

a suggested read for all disc golfers.

ahhh my head hurts :wall:

want simple rules e.g. don't do nothing to nothing just throw idiot...:)

yea! keep the trees that was pretty stupid but it takes a fool to do something stupid...

trees make oxygen + sequester carbon = a keeper :doh:<I knew that one>

Wait, that 100 year old tree is in my way, let me pull out my swiss army 5 foot chainsaw attachment....

[mr.smOOOth]

I'll read guys the riot act if I see them snap a branch, but a saw? Only 6 saplings? Anybody who does that is a douche. Anybody who watches somebody do that and says nothing is also a douche.

[Disc Golf Live]

Can't believe someone had to ask this question...throw the tomahawk and leave the saw at home.

[prerube]

If it's not your course you don't mess with it. I love wooded holes, but Sweden in Brockport is too much foiliage for my taste, that does not give me the right to remove pesky branches or saplings to suit my tastes

[mrjohnahawley]

saplings? dude you ruined a future hole .. does it matter? gotta think it ALL the way thru .. made the wrong decision man

Read the post man! NOT ME. I witnessed it.

[mrjohnahawley]

GOOD GOD! I asked the question because I felt bad about what I saw, I did not agree with it, condone it, or support it. People generally ask questions to learn. Therefore, my goal was to poll the disc golf community as to whether it was cool or un-cool. If this is the wrong approach please tell me and I will continue to be ignorant. As for mr. smoooth, being a douche for witnessing this act? Are you serious? Should I file a police report? Call parks and rec. and have him permanently banned? Do you want proof so that I can have my "douche" status removed? I think you need to refrain from replying to posts, since you only having insulting remarks to make.

[prerube]

Read the post man! NOT ME. I witnessed it.

also it says you (mrjohnahawley) are allowed to cut down trees for the advancement of the course. so it's kind of like your course.
so, bring an axe and cut what ever helps your course, including the arms of anyone who carrys a saw in their bag.

[mrjohnahawley]

I hear ya! Trust me after the tongue lashing I have received on here about this topic, I am most definitely passing it on to my idiot friend that slaughtered the saplings. I appreciate everyones views and opinions on this subject. Although, I must admit being called a douche for seeing this happen is taking things a bit too far. If we are all such eco friendly, tree hugging hippies, then there shouldnt be any negative vibes should there?

[DavidSauls]

It should be obvious that tree-cutting is way beyond "uncool". You might have told your friends they shouldn't. I wouldn't expect you to go so far as to fight them, call the police, or report it to the park. That's up to you. As is getting new friends.

I've had this argument with players around here, contemplating doing some unauthorized grooming. If your friends cut down some trees to make the course "better" in their judgement, then I come and do the same, then the next guy, pretty soon you're playing in a desert. Trust me---the opinions on what trees need to go, or not, varies wildly. That's why a course needs one person, or a handful, to make those decisions....and everyone else to just play.

[prerube]

It should be obvious that tree-cutting is way beyond "uncool". You might have told your friends they shouldn't. I wouldn't expect you to go so far as to fight them, call the police, or report it to the park. That's up to you. As is getting new friends.


"Officer, I am at at a park right now and a guy is breaking tree branches"
"sir why are you whispering"
"He's gonna hear me...oh He just stepped on a sapling"
"sir Is a crime being committed"
"Hurry, I am hiding behind a tree, but I left my bag on the tee...wait, Dude, just stole all my weed"
*Click
:doh:

[NothinButChing]

Read the post man! NOT ME. I witnessed it.

way to own up to what you and your GROUP did on the course. I know technically you didnt do anything, but you were playing with guy that did. Who the hell brings a bow saw to DG course anyway? prob was trying to kill you n put your body in the woods

[mrjohnahawley]

I was feeling a little threatened when he pulled out the camp saw. Looking back I am glad it was the tree and not me!

[NothinButChing]

rofls

[nitegolfer]

Good discussion. Not cool. It happened, maybe a good learning experience for the future.

I hope these "saplings" were not Dogwoods because, from what I can remember living there for a little while, it is illegal to cut those down in the state of VA. They take that serious. And, that is an example of a good reason not to make cuts on courses without permission or notification.

Now, if the OP came here and said ,"I played a round of golf with some guys and they had permission to make some minor cuts on a temp hole" then the reactions would have been the complete opposite.

Courses that are heavily wooded are constant maintenance projects. The more people involved the better but there still needs to be a central person to oversee changes so their are no surprises. Surprises like this take up people's time in trying to figure out what just happened.

If this guy travels around with a bow saw then maybe try to get in touch with the maintainers of the course and ask when the next work day is going to happen. Sometimes people want to help but don't know the best way to do so.

The PDGA takes this seriously. A Pro player made a small cut (one little tiny branch) a day before a tournament and was DQed and suspended from PDGA play for a year or so.

[mrjohnahawley]

Wow! It does sound serious. As for the trees in question, they were pines in a thicket of about a hundred. I would say they were no more than a year old. Maybe 2 inches in diameter. Doesnt make a difference I know, I am just stating what and where they were. Thanks for the input people. I have already administered a stern reprimand to the offender. And rest assured that if I see this happen again I now know how to react.

[mr.smOOOth]

GOOD GOD! I asked the question because I felt bad about what I saw, I did not agree with it, condone it, or support it. People generally ask questions to learn. Therefore, my goal was to poll the disc golf community as to whether it was cool or un-cool. If this is the wrong approach please tell me and I will continue to be ignorant. As for mr. smoooth, being a douche for witnessing this act? Are you serious? Should I file a police report? Call parks and rec. and have him permanently banned? Do you want proof so that I can have my "douche" status removed? I think you need to refrain from replying to posts, since you only having insulting remarks to make.

All it takes is a, "Hey, pal, I don't think you should cut down those trees." I am not saying you have to call the cops, just say something to the guy.
I know how much work I put into my home course and I make sure to treat ALL the courses I play with the same respect I give my own.

[mrjohnahawley]

10-4. I already handled it. Thanks.

[prerube]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/tune_in_drop_out/Lorax.jpg

[mrjohnahawley]

lol!

[gottafixit]

Absolutely not. Unless they are the course designer/pro. If it had been tourney play it would have been an immediate DQ. They possibly would have looked into some kind of suspension as well. They don't take that very lightly. As DG'ers we try to be as eco friendly as possible after some obvious initial course development.

I guess i'm one of the lucky ones that gets to cut down what every they see fit being as i'm the course designer. sucks for the rest of you guys. ha ha ha.

All kidding aside, It is hard to decide what stays and goes in woods holes, and how I feel about how defined they should be isn't how others feel. Prime example are two holes on my course in which someone with out my go ahead cut numerous trees and saplings down on multiple holes, one hole I had to redesign the short tee to refleck the new fairway they opened up, and another doubled the existing fairway causing a safety issue as the trees were guarding a route to a gazebo. So everyone while your out there, respect the park and the plants, someone put alot of time and energy into that hole design. If you don't like the shape of the park get involved and find out from the designer or the course maintenance group how you can help and suggest to them the changes you would like to see. If you can't live with that then stop screwing up someone else's course and start your own and screw that one up.

[biscoe]

I guess i'm one of the lucky ones that gets to cut down what every they see fit being as i'm the course designer. sucks for the rest of you guys. ha ha ha.

All kidding aside, It is hard to decide what stays and goes in woods holes, and how I feel about how defined they should be isn't how others feel. Prime example are two holes on my course in which someone with out my go ahead cut numerous trees and saplings down on multiple holes, one hole I had to redesign the short tee to refleck the new fairway they opened up, and another doubled the existing fairway causing a safety issue as the trees were guarding a route to a gazebo. So everyone while your out there, respect the park and the plants, someone put alot of time and energy into that hole design. If you don't like the shape of the park get involved and find out from the designer or the course maintenance group how you can help and suggest to them the changes you would like to see. If you can't live with that then stop screwing up someone else's course and start your own and screw that one up.

well said daniel.

btw work has actually begun on the 9 holer in louisa, should be ready for play before christmas. all wooded rec course but any course is better than none. i'll be cutting down a few hundred saplings this weekend hopefully.

[m_jank]

I don't think you guys respect wood.

[I3ooI3oo]

As a tree loving Hippie I have to chime in here. First off WTF is up with someone carrying a camp saw with them? I have never even heard of it before. As many people have already stated removing anything that is in front of your lie is against the rules. This includes moving a palmfron that is right in your way. I have seen people bend them over and stand on the edge to get a clear shot. I remind every one that I play with that it is against the rules and they would get a penalty for there actions in a tournament.

Beside the obvious rule violation that occured at most of my local courses it is illegal as they are in city parks. Tuskawilla is actually a forest preserve so it is a double no no.

I play often with Greg Hosfeld who designed the course we play night golf at last night. Even when we are playing a round a find a tree that has fallen or been pulled in to the way it is not removed until after the round is completed. No trees should ever be remove during play. It make the game different for those that haven't play that hole yet.

[mrjohnahawley]

No trees will be harmed in the making of my next game. Hell, I wont even hit em with my plastic!.....Yeah right!

[gottafixit]

well said daniel.

btw work has actually begun on the 9 holer in louisa, should be ready for play before christmas. all wooded rec course but any course is better than none. i'll be cutting down a few hundred saplings this weekend hopefully.

I was thinking of PM you to check on that. I almost got them all once again the naval weapons depot was all I had on the list and then a new one in hanover and one in pembroke(near blacksburg) popped up. I'll be glad to add it to the list, but sadly I don't think i'll be completing VA any time soon as I don't have a reason to go to pembroke. Really want to be at timber ridge this weekend but it's to close to the holiday and to much back and forth driving from DC to va Beach is all ready on the schedge. I'll try for the next TRO and will make the extra trek to pick up pembroke then.

[FernValleyDGC]

I love trees but some need to go. I try to pick the better and more healthy trees to keep. That way I can change things in the future if needed.
Example: we had a nasty ice storm earlier this year in western Ky. I had alot of big trees snap in half from the ice weight. Now I need to use some of the saplings that I didn't kill.

[Omega SuperSloth]

i gotta wonder about a guy who carries a bow saw with while disc golfing.
thats what i was thinking.:clap:

ive been doing grounds keeping for over ten years so i know how and what should be removed or trimmed but i would never take it on myself to do any un-authorized work.
If everyone trimmed up to what they thought was an ideal fairway it would be a disaster.

[harr0140]

thats what i was thinking.:clap:

ive been doing grounds keeping for over ten years so i know how and what should be removed or trimmed but i would never take it on myself to do any un-authorized work.
If everyone trimmed up to what they thought was an ideal fairway it would be a disaster.

I kindof feel like there should be a board of directors for each course . . . or I suppose at the minimum every cours eneeds a course pro to head up maintenance and construction. Even if they know nothing about how to do it, one person needs to be the contact, but more opinions would be better. It might be hard to get an idea passed but at least it would be a wider range of opinions! I am also a landscaper so I understand proper pruning and I have rarely ever seen proper pruning, even if it is on buckthorn it should be proper or it will continue to keep shooting out more and more shoots making maintenance harder every year! DON'T EVER SHEER BUCKTHORN!!!!!!

[djjeremiahj]

if he were patient, the natural force of 100 discs flying into it would have done the same.(when it got tall enough) But instead of cutting it down, the discs would have forced the saplings into becoming bushes.

This would be an organic evolution and not a forced man made one.

[CaptainAnhyzer]

i gotta wonder about a guy who carries a bow saw with while disc golfing.

Second this........ i carry a small pair of clippers with me but only use them when i see a branch that's already been mangled my someone.
J-Park is also still in the fine-tune stage of re-design/expansion so those "eye-pokers" get clipped whenever we see them.

[Peterb]

There are some trees on the golden gate park course that actually need trimming. The lower branches of these young oaks used to be a decent hazard if you went too far past the pin, but they've since become dilapidated and need to get pruned for the health of the tree

[Donald Smith]

You think cutting down trees is bad. What about people that decide to plant trees to beautify a park and they plant THREE trees in the middle of the fairway on a DG course???? Kirksville, MO, 9th hole has had this happen to it.

Donald

[cblack129]

You think cutting down trees is bad. What about people that decide to plant trees to beautify a park and they plant THREE trees in the middle of the fairway on a DG course???? Kirksville, MO, 9th hole has had this happen to it.

Donald

just makes the course more challenging. dont' let some trees ruin your day. throw right around them.

[Dfwdscglfr]

work with what u have in front of u

[cheddapig]

You deffinatly cant move anything in you lie unless you can prove it hasnt been there from the begining of the round... while your not playing you can pick up any dead material from the ground.. any active course manitence should be aproved by local club affiliates..

[Nathanbr2]

Not Good!! Not Good!! :thmbdown: Aside from the previously stated stuff, it is wicked bad karma!!! :doh: Respect the trees!! I make it a point to hug at least one, if not many, trees during each round. :cool:

Might have to start doing that with all the Hate I get from the trees down here

[tstack10]

Why are we cutting down trees? In park could be vandalism.
For recent construction at my old university they had to
plant two trees for everyone they cut down.

[jkdisc]

if you need to ask if it's cool, it usually isn't

[U_NICED_ME]

Do you think the course designer should also be consulted before branches of trees are removed? There's a local at our course that does this often and I think he's doing it for his own benefit specifically for his lines.

[solomon.trenton]

Why are we cutting down trees? In park could be vandalism.
For recent construction at my old university they had to
plant two trees for everyone they cut down.

thats dumb. pretty soon you cut down a field for a wing and then have to rip up a parking lot to plant a forest

[DavidSauls]

Do you think the course designer should also be consulted before branches of trees are removed? There's a local at our course that does this often and I think he's doing it for his own benefit specifically for his lines.

Probably not, but it certainly depends on the situation.

Some places the designer is no longer involved with the course. You can't defer to him forever, or let the vegetation swallow his design.

Some places have a club making pruning decisions. Or someone assigned by the club. For some, the parks department does it (for better or worse).

Some places it's just a local, the "old pro" of the area, who has been granted more-or-less dominion over tree-cutting decisions. Could your local be that guy?

[U_NICED_ME]

Yea, that's a good point. I am on the board of our club and we haven't really discussed it. We had a course supervisor but there was an incident where he knocked down our club president at doubles. This guy just started doing it after that and no one has complained, so we've let him continue cutting at will. We have two big tourney's coming up in July and the course designer is going to do some maintenance with us.

Parks and Rec doesn't seem to help us at all lately. We've got some serious cabbage just off the fairways, trees/limbs falling, and it's really tough to keep everything maintained right now.

[NothinButChing]

throw around EVERYTHING duh!

[tstack10]

Or by force through everything.

[TrippinBill]

I have a question. What if there is no course management, the course has been abandoned by the city, and the only people who use the course are the few disc golfers in the area? On my home home course we have designed about 50 holes using zero of the original tee pads, and we do some course maintenance here and there, but if we don't nobody else will.

[adh56]

I have a question. What if there is no course management, the course has been abandoned by the city, and the only people who use the course are the few disc golfers in the area? On my home home course we have designed about 50 holes using zero of the original tee pads, and we do some course maintenance here and there, but if we don't nobody else will.

I would say general course maintenance is a must but would not cut down trees in any situation, temp hole, safari hole, etc.

[adh56]

I've never cut down any trees or branches but my plan is to keep throwing discs into them until they come down

[bthoma1]

if you need to ask if it's cool, it usually isn't

actually no, If you need to ask if it's cool, your being a good person

[TheStray]

One of my friends used a saw on a swiss army knife to saw down a tree in a national forest, got busted, and fined big money.

Seriously playing a course that has no trees is amazingly difficult. Around here there is a course like that on a reservoir and we've nicknamed it the "Wind Tunnel" If the wind is 3-5 mph everywhere else you can count on it being at least 30 mph at this particular spot. I've seen discs do things they physically should not be able to do.

[TrippinBill]

I would say general course maintenance is a must but would not cut down trees in any situation, temp hole, safari hole, etc.

I would never cut down a tree. But I have trimmed some to make playable holes.

[mabraddock]

wow.... unless you have those plastic drain tile things wrapped around the yearlings (and if you hit these trees with your disc and you're not just throwing into the ground they are yearlings not saplings) the punishment of relatively sharp edged plastic would bring them down in no time anyway.... disc golf with out trees may as well be throwing discs out on a soccer field.... (ultimate frisbee?)

[ejvogie]

if you need to ask if it's cool, it usually isn't

actually no, If you need to ask if it's cool, your being a good person

No, if you need to ask if it's cool, and you've already done it, it ain't cool. If you need to ask if it's cool, and you HAVEN'T already done it, you're being a good person.

One of my friends used a saw on a swiss army knife to saw down a tree in a national forest, got busted, and fined big money.

Seriously playing a course that has no trees is amazingly difficult. Around here there is a course like that on a reservoir and we've nicknamed it the "Wind Tunnel" If the wind is 3-5 mph everywhere else you can count on it being at least 30 mph at this particular spot. I've seen discs do things they physically should not be able to do.

Defiance? Just gotta learn how to play the wind :hfive:

go bitch at each other on LAIM.

Fixed

[Pink Elephant]

The prerube I thought I knew would have linked the thread in his post, just sayin'.

[prerube]

the prerube you know usually sits at the computer instead of playing on the course. I played 7 new courses in the past 2 days, I was too tired to link, but here you go...

Go to post 24 :) (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11847&highlight=bean)

[BrotherDave]

I personally cut down every tree I come across with a judy chop. Maybe a ninjy chop.

[Conler Milrad]

If the course is not being maintained it is ok. I cut down burr plants without hesitation.

[prerube]

If the course is not being maintained it is ok. I cut down burr plants without hesitation.

you should still have permission from either the course director or parks and planning because they are the ones who get hassled when the town says "who is removing the young trees?"

If the course is not being maintained I am sure the director would love the help, but you should still ask.

[Conler Milrad]

I'll cut down burr plants, No hesitation, No mercy.

[zenbot]

All the plants are biding their time and plotting our demise. WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!?

[tstack10]

I think the ents are after us!!! Treees always
hating on me and my throws!!

[DSmith]

I'm sure this was said before but I don't feel like reading through all of the posts.

If you are so concerned about course maintenance, please make the small effort to contact those you might think are in charge of the course before going all gung ho and cutting down stuff. Alot of times those who are in charge of actually keeping up the courses would gladly welcome any help.

I admit I get pretty frustrated when I go out to one of the courses I helped build and see trees or saplings busted up because someone personally thought they should be removed.
Here's some general rules I go by in tree removal;

I consider saplings "replacement trees". These are the trees that will replace the older ones when they die out, fall over etc. It takes 10 years at the minimum for a tree to grow to a size where it'll actually preform a service as a proper obstacle on a fairway. So leave the saplings alone and let your local course designer or parks and rec decide if they should be removed or not!

Dead/dieing trees should only be removed it they either pose a hazard or may be diseased. Alot of times, and this is almost due to poor protection of the tree from disc hits, a tree may have to be removed due to death. But in turn you have to look at it and ask yourself if it'll effect the tee shot in an adverse way it the tree is removed. Will you have to possibly move the tee to keep the flavor of the hole if the said tree is removed?

Lots of stuff to keep in mind when thinking of taking out trees.

[ejvogie]

I personally cut down every tree I come across with a judy chop. Maybe a ninjy chop.

I prefer the Hasaan chop

[KAK3990]

I've never cut down any trees or branches but my plan is to keep throwing discs into them until they come down

LOL
Yea thats my "plan" too.

[Midnightbiker]

At my home course, tree cutting was getting out of control. People were trying to make the course easier, so they parks department put up a sign that says that if you are caught cutting trees, you will be arrested and prosecuted.

[prerube]

the thorn removal at Giles run (while appreciated) got out of control too and the parks department told Timber he had to stop.