Fri 10 Oct 2008
Golf Course Design Can Make Or Break Its Popularity
Posted by Author under Golf - General , Golf CoursesNo Comments
If you have ever played a difficult course, you may have wondered who was responsible for the golf course design and what brutal thoughts were going through their minds when they put it on paper. In most instances, the golf course design is limited by geography as the course needs to be fit into the available terrain without needing too much filling or digging to make it work. Add to the basic geography, any areas that may tend to flood during heavy rains will work against the person actually doing the work.
There are some courses where the golf course design makes it an extreme pleasure to play the game while a few others are exceptionally challenging, making it nearly impossible to achieve a decent score. The easiest courses are made for the beginner golfers and those who may need a confidence boost while the tougher golf course design fits into the play of the more experienced golfer.
On most courses, the tee box has three or four different starting points for each hole, marked with different colored tee markers. Most of the tees closer to the flag shorten the golf course design to make it easier for the less experienced golfer to hit the green and score par for that hole. The longer tee shots may make it more difficult for the average golfer to get near the green within par for the hole, and are generally used for long ball strikers and the more experienced.
Working The Design Into The Lay Of The Land
While playing golf, many have noticed the hills, valleys, ravines and water hazards and in most instances these were pre-existing and simply used in the golf course design to make it more challenging. Another area that poses particular opportunities for golf course design is nearby roads and homes that existed prior to the course being constructed.
Good golf course design will also take into account drainage to rid the course of excess water and some designers are better at their job than others are. Those who prefer playing a course by specific designers can find this information in a golf course review that offers many of the specifics about a particular course. In addition to the designer, many aspects of how well the course plays and what the average golfer can expect on the course are included in this information and whether the course is worth the green fees being charged for individual play.