An Introduction to Golf (Part 4)

Structure of a Golf Course

So let’s look at the golf course in more detail as it is designed primarily to take on all the activities related to golfing.

The land area where golf is played consists of several holes, usually from 9 to 18 holes, which the player has eventually to get the hit ball into. The player who gets the ball into these “holes” with the least number of ’shots’ wins the game.

There is no typical size for a golf environment for each golf course is designed to compliment the lie of the land and the management’s own liking. Golf Course designers are highly respected and often become quite famous.

An 18-hole golf area ideally has about 140 acres which is translated to 57 hectares. The relative distances of tees are characteristically longer for men than for women (5,900 to 6,400 meters for men and 4,000 to 5,000 meters for women).

The golf course is specifically engineered to have all of the following playing areas

Let’s look at the main three sections…

The Tee

One of the main components of golf is the tee. Golf tees are those little things used as stands to hold the golf ball during the player’s “first stroke” in each hole and come in a variety of styles and sizes.

 ‘Tee’ is also used unofficially to refer to the area from which the player hits his or her primary stroke. It is formally known as the “teeing ground”. Such that when a player is said to play on the golf course’ ninth hole, the player is said to play from the “ninth tee” to the “ninth green”.

Consequently, the first shot hit by the player from a “teeing ground” is known as a tee shot. For lengthy holes, tee shots can be done using a driver; while for shorter holes, it is best to use an iron.

The Fairway

 The next area of the course, where the grass is cut shorter- almost to the ground – to provide every ball a good playing area, is known as the fairway.

The fairway is the the short grass that provides a clean stretch between the tee and the putting green and where various hazards are to be found, usually on the perimeters. The fairway is often not straight either so that it taxes the player’s skill even more. This is called a “dog leg”

The Green

An area called a “green” is usually the area surrounding each hole on the course. This area, where the grass is cut so low that it causes less restriction to the ball, is at the end of the fairway.

Golfers are very choosy of the golf course where they want to play. They don’t like playing on courses where the greens are not as good as possible That is why keepers of the greens implement a lot of methods to make sure expert care is given and golfers play golf without being annoyed.

There are many problems that resemble a nightmare if not dealt with efficiently and promptly. One aspect that is very important in keeping a good green is the drainage. Although, this is often overlooked, it is a vital part in keeping the green playable, especially during rainy seasons.

There is a great challenge in keeping a healthy looking fairway and green for the whole golf course. Keepers are also very knowledgeable and dedicated to maintaining a good course. A good green keeper is well respected and much sought after.

Next time we will look at the more dangerous parts of a golf course… The Hazards!