On Wednesday April 16, an online webinar will take place to guide landowners and golf course managers to better understand their legal responsibilities, potential liabilities, and the benefits of having a clear tree care strategy in place.
Trees are a vital part on many golf courses, enhancing the visual appeal, shaping play, and providing shelter; they also present real health and safety risks if not properly assessed. A tree collapsing during play or in a public area can result in serious injury, costly damage, reputational harm, and potential liability for the club.
Many course managers feel unsure how often trees need to be assessed, what to look for, or who’s best placed to do it. That’s where a Tree Risk Management Strategy comes in. It provides a clear, cost-effective framework for:
• Understanding legal responsibilities under the Occupiers’ Liability Acts and Health & Safety legislation
• Reducing insurance exposure by having documented, proactive inspections
• Avoiding unnecessary tree removals — by identifying trees that are safe and retainable
• Prioritising work sensibly, focusing budget on actual risk rather than guesswork
• Improving long-term planning for course maintenance and storm resilience
“We’ve found that many golf courses default to calling in a tree surgeon after a storm or when a tree ‘looks unsafe’, often resulting in over-removal or reactive spending,” a webinar spokesperson said. “As independent consultants, we don’t carry out tree works, so our assessments are objective. This approach often saves clubs significant money, particularly when healthy trees are unnecessarily felled based on limited inspection.”
The 30-minute webinar will offer golf clubs a practical introduction to all of this, with the opportunity to ask questions and leave with information they can immediately use to evaluate their current approach.
“We recently worked with Mallow Golf Course, Co. Cork, to assess the health and safety of trees near tees, greens, and walkways. Using both traditional visual assessment and advanced testing equipment, we can identify hidden decay in key trees that posed a serious risk. This early detection allows the club to take action before any incident occurred, avoiding disruption to members and saving potential costs in the tens of thousands.”
To register for the event, please click here.
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