I would place a line of arborvitae from the corner of your house out past the round patio. Buy the 6 ft ones from the start and they will make both a wind break and privacy hedge. As far as the compressor, if its a new house hopefully you didn't go cheap but put a high effeciency A/C in. I put in a Lennox last summer right next to my patio and you barely hear it.
