Trees. Yes, those annoying extensions on the course that causes our discs not to land in the basket when we throw a tee shot or up shot. How many times have we heard, "That disc was IN!" or "That would've been a great shot if it hadn't been for that TREE"? All of us have had visions of chainsaws and at least one resulting stump immediately after experiencing such a throw. Why are these trees here? What purpose could they possibly have except to create higher scores and raised blood pressures?

Trees are nature's air filters. They take bad air, say from car exhaust, filter the air, and release oxygen, a vital element of human existence. Since we live in or around a large metropolitan area, this operation of filtering air is a very good thing. Trees are the earth's air conditioning system. Trees provide shade, and with the release of oxygen, help cool down the earth. Were it not for trees, the earth would possibly be a desert. Trees also keep Sedgley Woods in place. With all of the elevation changes at the course, the water runoff is taking a lot of land with it on its way down to the Schuylkill River. Just take a look at the bases of holes 10 and 12 the next time you are there and you will see what I mean. Overall, I would say that trees were a good item to have around.

The next time you are at Sedgley, if you are not here now, take a close look at the trees, concentrating on those primarily in the playing areas of the fairways. What do you notice? I can give a brief description without going hole-by-hole. You will see that about 1 in 10 are flat out dead, and should have a 'falling pool' as to when they will tumble. Approximately 2 of 10 trees are half dead or half rotted, and somewhere around 3 in 10 are in beginning stages of decay. That's 60% of the total number of trees that you see at any given time while on the course that are in stages from minor decay to totally dead. Given the fact that trees in Philadelphia city limits have a lifespan half of what it should be, we could expect to see only 40% of the trees standing today to be around in 10 to 15 years. In 20 to 30 years, we would only see 25% of these trees here today. If you saw the video that I saw of Sedgley in 1985, you'd know that we have lost 15% of the trees since then. In the year 2030, Sedgley will have only 20% of the number of trees that it had in 1985.

You may think that golfers could not possibly be the cause of this problem. You may think the cause is from pollution, disease, a 'weak' strain of the species, or _____ (enter your favorite deity) has deemed it so. Ok, now look at the trees again. How many young trees do you see? Aside from the efforts of Fairmount Park or Frank Senk to plant new trees, you will see zero natural new growth. That is right. Nada, none, zilch. Did Sedgley's trees become sterile or abstinate? I hardly think so. We still see tree pollen every spring, and if you walk back into the woods to the left of hole 12A, you would see all of the same species of trees in various stages of development. Therefore, we must presume that the trees are still sexually active. So why no tree offspring, or no offspring of offspring, etc? One possibly cause could be the presence of a disc golf course. We play hundreds of rounds here weekly, with people stomping and packing the earth making it difficult for seeds to take root. Moreover, if the seeds do make it into the hardened soil, the continued trampling of the golfer's feet or the discs we throw, combined with the mowing and weed whacking, these new plants hardly stand a chance. Now imagine again Sedgley with 60% less trees and know that you, I, and everyone who comes to this course whether playing golf or just walking through is making this impact on the land, virtually destroying it with every step we take. I imagine that in 20 years we will have to rename our course from Sedgley Woods to Sedgley Meadows, unless we can do something about it now. Well, there is something we can do about it right now, and that process has already begun. FSW, in conjunction with Fairmount Park, has initiated measures to plant more young trees in areas that need to address erosion control. Once we have made way on erosion, we will plant new trees to replace dead or dying areas of the course to repopulate them.

Some people may feel that FSW should not exist and that the land should develop 'naturally' or some may feel that these new trees are 'in the way' or that FSW is planting new trees because a specific someone throws that way. Let me assure everyone that FSW is vital to the future of Sedgley Woods and we do not plant trees for any other reason than those stated above. Besides, a little change here and there keeps us from being bored with the same old course and it keeps Sedgley as challenging as it was the day it opened. It is a personal desire of mine for the Friends of Sedgley Woods to be not a group of dedicated disc golfers with a concern for conservation, but a group of dedicated conservationists with a passion for disc golf.

In conclusion, one can see that trees are good for us, providing oxygen and shade, not to mention food and shelter for a variety of animals one would have to drive 50 or so miles to see in the wild. One can also see that trees are a dying commodity at Sedgley caused directly by the presence of the disc golf course and its golfers. Finally, one can see that FSW is needed to preserve and protect the land and the course, and that planting trees is not a personal thing, yet something that can perpetuate the beauty and the challenge of Sedgley Woods for many years to come.

Thanks for thinking,

Topher