Tree faces axe over damage to golf course green

A golf club has said a tree on its course needs to be chopped down because the "extreme shade" it creates is damaging a green and, potentially, putting the future of the club at risk.

The condition of one of the six greens at Castlefields, in Rastrick Common near Brighouse, had deteriorated to such an extent it was unusable, the club said.

As a result, it has applied to the council for permission to fell the horse chestnut tree, which is subject to a tree preservation order.

The application said the worsening course condition posed a "very serious risk to the sustainability of the golf club which needs six greens to maintain it's status as an officially recognised club".

In the application to Calderdale Council, the club said it had made a similar request in 2024 but permission was not given, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

This was despite a report from consultants into course conditions and agronomic management which said some trees were causing "extreme shade" to some of the golf course's greens, which were having a detrimental effect on growth and condition.

A report submitted with the application said limited sunlight, poor airflow and increasingly wet weather were preventing the surface from drying and recovering properly.

It concluded that reducing shade and tree overhang was necessary to improve airflow and help greens dry, alongside changes to maintenance practices.

The club said if permission was given to fell the tree, it would plant a replacement species which would grow to a smaller height, for example a rowan.

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