An Introduction to Golf (Part 3)The Golf Course

The game of golf is played on a golf course – obviously. But have you ever thought what goes into making a good golf course? I mean, what makes a good golf course, and what makes a not-so-good golf course? While we don’t have the space to go through specific design layouts, we can touch on some of the aspects of a golf course that makes it fun to play yet challenging too.

 Like the miniature golf course, a regular golf course should be fun. You really can’t add the fun type, crazy hazards on a regular golf course, but you can use the natural elements of the land to help build challenges into the layout.

 Obviously, the first thing you’re going to need is land and a lot of it. The golf course must have some long yardage holes as well as some shorter yardage holes. However, most golfers will agree that having mostly longer holes is a great challenge. But they also need those short par 3s for a little ego boost! A good designer can use the natural elements of the land to help build challenges into the layout.

 Having several sand bunkers is a great way to present challenge on the golf course. Most bunkers are located around the hole, but they can also be placed in the fairway for added headaches! Having to hit out of the sand provides for all sorts of stroke modifications, and golfers love to have the challenge at hand! Or do they?

 Water hazards are another great way to give golfers a challenge on the golf course. Natural lakes and rivers can be found all over the place, but you can also create man-made water hazards by digging out a large area and filling it with water – obviously! Water hazards make a player have to use finesse to avoid them and make a golf course fun to navigate.

 Rolling hills cause a golf ball to – take a guess here – roll! You may have a great drive, but if your ball lands on the side of a hill, it will either stick there making your shot hard or it will roll off the side. Either way, this is another way to make a golf course challenging.

Natural trees and woods are also part of the golf course environment. There’s nothing worse than to hear the sound of your ball hitting a tree on a golf course. Then you have the fun task of trying to find out where the ball landed. Did it go further in or did the tree propel it out into the fairway? Either way, you have another great way to challenge yourself with natural elements.

Designing a golf course can be great fun – for both the designer as well as the player. Take in the natural elements of your favorite golf course and then navigate through those hazards with a positive attitude. Then you’ll be having fun!

Come back to see part 4 which will show you some of the parts of the golf course you need to know about.