As we enter winter, frozen or saturated soils can create challenging conditions for maintenance tasks and offseason projects, but hand pruning trees is almost always an option. Many tree management conversations focus on increasing sunlight and air movement by completely removing trees. However, pruning trees from the ground can have very positive impacts without the controversy that comes with complete removal.

Thorough crown cleaning is best performed by certified arborists, but with minimal training and a few hand and pole saws, improvements to tree health, turf health and playability can be quickly realized. During a tree’s lifecycle, it is typical for the lower branches to die back first, so removing dead or declining branches will give the tree a clean look, reduce safety concerns and provide a few other benefits. Taller canopies will allow more sunlight to reach the turf and they allow for better air movement. Playability also improves with higher canopies because golfers can find and play wayward shots more easily. As trees grow taller, their branches grow wider and may encroach into playing corridors. Branches that grow over fairways or make a par 3 into a dogleg should be identified for removal. The entire canopy may not have to be pruned back to achieve the desired result, removing a few of the lower branches might do the trick and it’s an easy place to start.

Pruning younger, smaller trees for form and structure is another relatively easy task that will serve the golf course well in the long term. Newly planted trees need as much canopy as possible but as they establish, removing lower branches and promoting strong crotches will grow strong, resilient trees. Keep in mind, some flowering trees should not be pruned during the winter as this can remove next season’s blooms, which is one of many benefits trees provide to the golfer experience. It won’t hurt to wait until after the tree flowers to get a few of those lower branches.

Winter is a great time for in-house tree pruning, so consider training staff on reduction cuts and the three-cut method for proper tree branch pruning. Investing in powered pole saws can make pruning more efficient and I promise these tools will be useful for as long as you have trees on your course. Sending a team out to walk the golf course and hand-prune trees is minimally invasive and can make life easier for your turf and the golfers at your course.

Northeast Region Agronomists:

Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org

Elliott L. Dowling, regional director, East Region – edowling@usga.org

Brian Gietka, agronomist – bgietka@usga.org

Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service

Contact the Green Section Staff