Let's be honest here

[CD10]

I know this subject has been beat to death in the past but I think it’s worth bringing up again. I really want your opinions on improving East Roswell Park. I believe the course is so close to being the best woods course in the state.

I want to bring up the subject of tree removal from the fairways on a few holes. I’m curious to see who would support this idea and what we would have to do to make it happen. I know everyone thinks differently but I don’t see why anyone would want trees right in the middle of the fairways. I really want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way.

Craig

[$Dollar$]

Everyone can see
how ERP
gets better and better
with every less tree

[$Dollar$]

Taken from the Course Design thread:

The good thing out there is the county gave Luke free reign on the land so he can cut and shape it at will, but most parks won't allow that to happen. Look at ERP. There needs to be a little tweaking here and there and the Parks department isn't going to allow it.

The RRPD would be fine with pretty much anything the club decided should be done on the course. The City of Roswell, however, has tree ordinances that apply just as much to public property as private. You're not going to take out anything over a pretty small size without (a) approval from a city-approved arborist and (b) planting of replacement, equivalent-sized trees in appropriate locations. They had no issues with the plans being discussed to install additional pin locations, for example -- pretty much said "it's your course, so whatever you can afford to do without removing live trees, go for it". They'd want to be informed of the plans and would still have the authority to veto something that was potentially dangerous, infringed on other park uses, or was otherwise detrimental to the park, but they're not opposed to course improvements (so long as the club or someone else is paying for them -- they're not going to be spending any public money on anything beyond the most basic and necessary maintenance such as mowing the couple of fairways that actually need it from time to time).

[jritger]

Dealing with same thing at Perkerson right now. Preliminary pricing says it costs about $100/inch (DBH = diameter at breast height) to remove/replace moderate+ sized trees -- that is the per/inch cost of installing a new tree. Even if you have the $$ to replace them, there is still a long appeals process and the potential for them to veto the removal.

@ Perkerson, we need to remove 12 trees with a combined 75" DBH and I'm budgeting $10,000 for it in the event the removal holds up through the appeals process.

[$Dollar$]

Save the 10 G's and stick some 40s in the top of every tree that needs to come down.

[kade.erp]

After playing the woods courses in NC I have changed my mind on this topic. Originally I thought, why remove any trees? Why make it easier? It not about easy or hard. Its about "fair"ways and fun in my opinion. Golf gets easier with practice, not cutting down tight lines. The pros came into town for their national tour and complained about hitting the small gaps at ERP to only nail a tree in the middle of the fairway right after that. (17, I think is a big one among several others 16,18,8,9 ) Well, I for one, now agree with this sentiment. Lets throw to the basket, not the trees. Now whos got thousands to spend...

[CD10]

What about all the trees they cut down for the walking path? Who approved that?

[Wookie]

The city approved that and I can bet you that they have replanted some trees to make up for the ones they removed. Talk to Scott Walker about this, he is one of the guys that knows the most about the subject and with dealing with the Parks & Rec. department. Unless the tree dies and/or is taken out by a storm, there isn't going to be much change to that course any time soon.

[VERMIN]

I would concede that a dead or rotten tree that could cause peril to someone should be removed or trimmed for safety purposes. All others can stay.

My biggest complaint at ERP is the amount of garbage I see whenever I play there. Usually it's a pig sty which is ridiculous since they have plenty of trash cans.

[CD10]

I feel I need to atleast try. The park has too much potential to leave it alone.

[jritger]

Craig -- I just had the big walkthrough with the city of ATL arborist last week and here's what I learned:

They will approve dead/diseased/dying of any size
Top tree species are beech and hickory (these will be tough to remove in any size), followed by dogwood
Our limit is 4" on hardwoods and 10" on pines before the replacement kicks in ... so ERP is likely similar
He was quick to approve >4" trees that were less desirable species, like black walnut, without replacement

You may have luck if some of the fairway trees fall into those categories

[Lofstrand]

Good News!!!!!!!!
RDGC (Roswell Disc Golf Club) meeting this Wednesday (2-22) at 7pm in the parks building.
This is the venue where you can get your questions answered and opinions expressed.
Our park staff liason is there at all our meetings.

[CD10]

Can't make it tomorrow Lofstrand but I do plan on coming to ones in the future. I figured the RDGC would be the place to start but I wanted to see how everyone else felt about it.

[Lewis]

Aren't pretty much all the trees at ERP pines? Especially the ones in the fairways? One angle could be to suggest how much $ the county could make selling a few pines to a lumber company. But then you'd probably end up with an open course like at White Oak.

[kade.erp]

Lewis BAD idea. Only a FEW trees need to be removed.

[Wookie]

Plus the lumber company would kill the land around the course to get to the trees, such as the case at The Monty.

[Funky Bobby J]

Let's be honest -

Hyperbole aside - ERP does not hold a candle to Jackson course or the Monty and they are woods courses.

[Ridesbrd]

Let's be honest -

Hyperbole aside - ERP does not hold a candle to Jackson course or the Monty and they are woods courses.

^ This, much better woods courses in Georgia, I can name about 5 or 6 in Augusta alone. Now if some trees were removed at ERP I may like the course more but that was one of the worst courses I have ever played in the south.

drill hole in tree
insert poison
cork hole
profit

[dandaman]

drill hole in tree
insert poison
cork hole
profit

Easy there bama fan...

[Clunck]

I know this subject has been beat to death in the past but I think it’s worth bringing up again. I really want your opinions on improving East Roswell Park. I believe the course is so close to being the best woods course in the state.

The best woods course in the Southeast is The Monty, period!

[Clunck]

Let's be honest -

Hyperbole aside - ERP does not hold a candle to Jackson course or the Monty and they are woods courses.

Maybe Funky, I love Jackson and it is in the woods but it also has 80 ft wide fairways. Jackson is a course unlike any other and it's just not fair to compare it with a "county" course.

[Clunck]

^ This, much better woods courses in Georgia, I can name about 5 or 6 in Augusta alone. Now if some trees were removed at ERP I may like the course more but that was one of the worst courses I have ever played in the south.

Seconded! It is a horrable course. But you mainly have the county to blame. The golfers could and would make it better if allowed.

[grease]

I beg to differ that ERP is not a legit or is a bad course. My first encounters with it gave me the same opinion that most GA players share. Then I played it constantly(even ran doubles) for a year or so and grew to appreciate it. ERP is fun and sometimes not fair, but that's the beauty of it.

[Clunck]

ERP is fun and sometimes not fair

Exactly.

[$Dollar$]

I love ERP and Jackson, but neither is truly fair. Jackson has lots of holes with trees in the fairway too. #1, 2,3,5,6,8,14 off the top of my head.

Is there such a thing as a truly fair wooded course?

[grease]

I love the woods holes at Tom Triplett in Savannah.

[Bootsie]

hole 1 needs that middle clump slimmed down to maybe just 1 tree
hole 2 fine
hole 3 fine
hole 4 fine
hole 5 fine
hole 6 maybe a couple down by the basket
hole 7 fine
hole 8 fine its a par4 you remove any there for your second shot up towards the basket and theres no difficulty
hole 9 new tree down now is fine
hole 10 fine
hole 11 tree right in the middle going around the curve up the hill
hole 12 fine
hole 13 fine
hole 14 fine
hole 15 fine
hole 16 has 1 tree right in the middle in that circle where the landing area is for second shot
hole 17 has 1 tree in the middle after you go thru the tunnel and as you start turning right its in the fairway
hole 18 fine

not really all that much then the course is solid.
and the jackson best course in georgia.
dont forget jason dollars home course is lenora. he likes rolling plains and shooting 12 unders

[Lewis]

In my humble opinion, there are way too many trees in the #18 fairway, and although I have a tomahawk shot dialled in for #14, that one also has too many trees in the fairway. #16's fairway is okay, but the landing area for the second shot could stand to have fewer trees and brush blocking it. With #8, I generally don't like turning par 3 distance into a par 4 hole by clogging the fairway with trees, but bootsie is right that it quickly becomes a par 3 when you start removing trees there. My least favorite holes on the course have always been #1 and #9, but I haven't seen 9 since the tree fell. #11 and #17 need to have a couple trees each taken out near the tee boxes. Most of the others are short enough or have enough space between the trees that you can pick a legitimate line. However, if someone is feeling zealous, I would not object to a tree or two coming down on #2 or #6.