News

2023 PGA Championship: Tree management through memorialization

Published

3 years ago

Feb 28, 2023

One place that 156 competitors at the 2023 PGA Championship won’t want to spend much time is among the trees at Oak Hill Country Club. For the perspicacious patrons and volunteers, however, not just shade and repose will be found beneath those canopies. A large part of the Oak Hill story is told on the stalwart trunks that frame the grounds.

Tree management programs have been in the news for the past three decades, since courses and clubs took steps to allow sun, wind, and moisture to more efficiently and naturally impact the turf and plantings that define golf course architecture. The Oak Hill Country Club, near Rochester in Pittsford, New York, is sensitive to the work of its superintendents and grounds crew, and initiated a restorative program five years ago to return the course to its Donald Ross roots. Part of that restoration involved the assessment and culling of certain trees around the two courses and lawns. Members and fans wondered aloud how the removal of certain pines, elms and, yes, even oaks, would impact the club.

Trees at Oak Hill hold more than just their own history and legacy across the property. Many are designated with plaques, commemorating members and important staff, with a special space reserved for winners of major tournaments. The Hill of Fame alongside and above the 13th fairway is known as an august space, but there are many other, arboreal plantings that tell brief but important stories.

I sought the expertise of two gentlemen with vast knowledge of this commemorative program. Mr. Griffen Owen is the current member in charge of the continuation and cataloguing of the program, with an official title of Tree and Memorial Curator for the History and Archives committee. Mr. Fred Beltz is the Club Historian. My debt to each is vast, and their words help to create the following account.

The tree-naming program has existed since the decade of the 1920s. It was then that Dr. John Williams proposed the matter of landscaping the grounds to club president Clarence Wheeler. Armed with approval, the two embarked on a donation program, and raised enough seed money to purchase, well, seeds and saplings. Dr. Williams traveled near and far to collect enough live timber to dress up the club property in leafy luster. Three spaces alongside holes on the fabled East course were selected as nurseries, and these locales allowed the club to plant 20,000 seedlings to begin the tree program.

Not long after, Dr. Williams connected people with the oaks, pines, and other species. A ceremony held on Memorial (nee Decoration) Day would read the names and feats of the honorees, and the location of their memorial plaque. Two of the most poignant stories are told in a club article by the historian. Of Major Michael J. Crino, MD.; 1^st Lieutenant Richard Arnold; 1^st Lieutenant Herbert Hastings; Private Edward R. Crone Jr.; 2^nd Lieutenant George Healy; 2^nd Lieutenant Joseph Myler, Jr.; 1^st Lieutenant Robert E. Stevenson; and 1^st Lieutenant Willard B. Eddy; Mr. Beltz writes:

“I cannot fully express the pride I feel for these men that I never met but who, at one time or another, shared a love for the 355 acres we all call “home.” How fitting that a memorial to them will forever be part of the grounds of Oak Hill Country Club.”

From Saipan to Italy, from Germany to North Africa, in stateside training and overseas missions, these OakHillians made the ultimate sacrifice, to defend the freedom and liberties that they and their generations valued, above all else. The most known, and perhaps most moving, is the story of Private Crone. Mr. Beltz continues

“Private Edward R. Crone Jr. was part of the 106^th Infantry and took part in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was captured in the Ardennes. Along with other prisoners, he was sent to Dresden, Germany, in cattle cars, where they lived in a meat-packing plant. Living on starvation rations, the prisoners took part in forced labor, clearing the city of rubble and bodies after the Allied firebombing. Suffering from malnutrition, he died less than a month before the war’s end. Edward Crone is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Fellow POW Kurt Vonnegut used Crone as the role model for the character of Billy Pilgrim in his novel “Slaughterhouse Five.” After visiting the gravesite, Vonnegut wrote, “There’s a wonderful Victorian cemetery [in Rochester]. And that’s where Billy Pilgrim is buried . . . Visiting Crone’s grave closed out the war for me.”

The tree memorialization program currently lists 375 plaques on the East and West, the clubhouse proper, and the Hill of Fame. Along the 8th hole, parallel to Chapin Way, multiple plaques adorn trees to commemorate winners of the John R. Williams Four-Ball Invitational. On the Hill of Fame, names like Whitworth, Nicklaus, Sorenstam, Trevino, Rawls, Strange, and Middlecoff are remembered for their professional, major championship victories, both at Oak Hill and beyond. Jay Haas earned space for his senior professional win, while Charles Coe and Hank Kuehne garnered memorialization for US Amateur titles. The 1995 European side is also remembered on the Hill of Fame, for its stirring victory over the host USA contingent.

On May 21st of this year, another named plaque may be added to the arborescent archive above the 13th green. It will certainly find a place on the adjacent Wall of Fame, outside the majestic clubhouse. It’s to be expected that the fortunate soul will feel something akin to Shaun Micheel’s reflection on his place nearby on the clubhouse Wall of Fame

“Oak Hill is a very special club and they have an incredible amount of pride in the championships that they’ve hosted and their respective champions. The membership always goes out of their way to welcome me when I’m on property and I’m grateful for that. But, I am truly honored to have a permanent place at Oak Hill.”

May of 2023 will certainly see the addition of another champion to the Wall of Fame. As the club moves through the 21st century, Oak Hill will continue to serve as a beacon of tree management, a venue for tournaments of the highest caliber, and a pantheon for the game’s greatest contributors.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase