Serious mole/gopher problem or John's putting has deteriorated?

We are having a busy couple of days in the garden this week. While the first photo may suggest that we have a mole problem or John, my husband, is struggling with his golf putting and thus putting in extra large holes in his putting green.......


the real reason is that we are moving some of our olive trees on the property. We have 6 large and old olive trees and two of them are really dwarfing the house...and three are in difficult areas to harvest the olives......And at the same time, we don't have a lot of shade area in the summer in those hot late afternoons.


Currently we have a little knoll with 3 olive trees on it that supplies lovely shade - and so we decided we would move 5 of the other ones to make a similar little "grove" at the other end of the lawn as a means to get more shade and move the trees from where they weren't optimal.


It's quite a job! These big trees are old and valuable, but also have multiple trunks, making them vulnerable for splitting. But the process has been fascinating (if also a bit scary) to watch. The Olive Tree Farm workers have it all down to a fine art - obviously they've done it before!!!!


At the moment, 3 are in place and I think they will finish the moving the remaining 2 today and then tomorrow will plant some small ones in their place.


Roll on that CA sunshine! Now we'll be enjoying it, but in the tranquility of our little olive grove!