Miles Bennett
Golf courses are made up of 9 or 18 holes, each with a teeing ground or tee box and a putting green. The area between the tee and the green is called the fairway, where the grass is cut short. The grass alongside the fairways is called the rough, and this is kept longer than the grass on the fairway to increase the difficulty of the game. Golf courses also feature hazards, which are areas with additional rules for play, such as bunkers (sand traps) and water hazards. The term links refers to a sandy area along the coast, which is the most famous type of golf course.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of golf playing area | Golf course |
| Number of holes | 9 or 18 |
| Types of golf courses | Links, Parkland, Sandbelt, Heathland |
| Parts of a golf course | Teeing ground/box, Fairway, Rough, Green, Fringe, Bunker, Water hazard |
| Golf course maintenance | Regular inspections, immediate fixtures, rapid cleaning, etc. |
| Golf course grass | Bent grass, Bermuda grass, TifDwarf Hybrid Bermuda, Mini Verde, artificial turf |
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The 'teeing ground' or 'teeing box'
Golf courses consist of either 9 or 18 holes, and each hole has a teeing ground or "tee box". The teeing ground is the area where play begins for each hole of golf. The terms "tee", "tee box", and "teeing ground" are synonymous. The name "tee" comes from the small peg, usually made of wood or plastic, that is placed in the ground to elevate a golf ball before striking it to start play.
The teeing ground is defined by two markers that show the bounds of the legal tee area. The teeing area spans the distance between these markers and extends two club lengths behind them. The ball must be placed and hit from inside the teeing area, though a golfer may stand outside it. The ball may be placed directly on the surface of the teeing ground (called hitting it "off the deck"), or it may be supported by a manufactured tee (limited to a height of four inches) or a natural substance such as a mound of sand.
Playing from outside the teeing area or from the wrong tee is against the rules of golf. Most courses have different colour-coded sets of tee markers, allowing the holes to be played from a variety of distances, often to suit players of different abilities. The foremost tee is designed to accommodate the shorter drives of women.
The first shot on any hole is played from within the teeing ground, and golfers are allowed to stand outside the teeing ground and hit a ball that is placed inside it. However, in stroke play, playing from outside the teeing ground incurs a penalty of two strokes, and the player must then play a ball from within the teeing ground. If the player does not correct their mistake before making a stroke from the next teeing ground, they are disqualified.
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Fairways
The fairway is an integral part of a golf course, situated between the tee and the green. It is characterised by its short, evenly cut grass, providing golfers with an ideal surface to hit the ball. The fairway is typically a straightforward area to play from, offering a good lie for the ball. The term "fairway" was originally used in the 1580s to refer to a navigational channel of a river, and it later gained its golfing connotation in the late 19th century.
The fairway is a golfer-friendly zone, in contrast to the rough, which is an area of longer grass usually found alongside fairways. The rough poses a challenge by slowing down any ball that comes into contact with it and making it more difficult to advance the ball. Golfers aim to keep their shots on the fairway to avoid the penalising effects of the rough.
The fairway is also distinct from other hazards on the course, such as bunkers (sand traps) and water hazards like ponds, lakes, or streams. These hazards introduce additional rules for play and require strategic shot-making to navigate successfully.
Maintaining the grass on the fairways incurs significant costs, as it requires regular installation and upkeep. To manage expenses, some low-budget courses catering to casual players opt for sand greens or artificial turf instead of real grass.
The design of fairways can vary in shape and topology, with some featuring "doglegs," which are changes in the direction of the fairway that often call for shorter shots to navigate effectively. Golf course architects often aim to integrate the native landscape into the design of the fairways, incorporating elements such as the sea coast, forests, rolling hills, or desert terrain.
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Rough
The rough in golf is the area of longer grass surrounding the outer edges of a golf hole. It is the area outside the fairways, where the grass is deliberately allowed to grow longer than that of the fairway grass. Fairways are the centrally located area of a golf hole where the grass is cut shortest and is considered the ideal position for playing a shot.
The rough is an important part of the game as it is used as a challenge for the golfer. It is sometimes used as a punitive strategy for players who fail to hit the fairways during their shots. The longer grass bordering a fairway may have a ribbon termed the first cut of rough, which is only slightly longer than the fairway. The first cut can be relatively straightforward to play from as the ball can sometimes sit up on a fluffy section of grass, making it easier to hit.
Further away from the fairway and beyond the first cut is an area of grassland which is longer or deeper, known as the deep rough. Extracting a ball from the deep rough and getting it onto the fairway or green can be a challenging task. The average grass cutting height for the rough is 2-6 inches (50-150 mm), while the fairway grass is typically 3/8-1/2 inch (10-12 mm) long.
There may also be areas with natural and unkempt vegetation further away from the line of play and the fairway, known as the extreme rough. This area is not mowed regularly and may be designated as a Ground Under Repair (GUR) if specific environmental protection or course maintenance is required.
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Hazards
Water hazards include natural bodies of water such as waterfalls, ponds, streams, creeks, wetlands, and lakes. They can also include man-made water features. Water hazards are designed to add beauty and difficulty to a course, and they are often situated between the teeing ground and the hole.
Bunkers, also known as sand traps, are small to medium-sized areas filled with sand and usually located lower than the fairway. They can be fairway bunkers, greenside bunkers, or waste bunkers, and they are designed to impede a player's progress toward the green. Bunkers may have high flashy sand, grass-faced banks, turf islands in the middle, or convoluted fingers, and they often have a raised lip or barrier.
Special rules apply when playing from a hazard. For example, a player is not allowed to touch the ground or water with their club before playing the ball, and they must not touch the sand with their club when playing from a bunker. If a ball cannot be played from a hazard, the player may move it to another location, usually incurring a one-stroke penalty.
In addition to the official hazard categories, other obstacles on a golf course can include tall grass, plants, trees, and wind. These natural elements can affect the trajectory and distance of a shot, and they can also provide a challenge when setting up the next stroke.
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Putting greens
The term "putting" refers to playing a stroke on the green, usually with a putter club, which has a very low loft so that the ball rolls smoothly along the ground and, hopefully, into the hole. The hole, also known as "the cup", is 4.25 inches in diameter and is the ultimate destination for the ball. The goal of golf is to get the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible.
The shape and topology of the putting green can vary, and the location of the hole on the green may change from day to day to promote even wear of the turf. The green typically does not include fully enclosed hazards such as sand or water, but these hazards are often placed adjacent to the green, adding to the challenge. Golfers use a method known as reading the green to enhance their chances of making a successful putt.
The cost of installing and maintaining grass greens can be significant, so some low-budget courses catering to casual players may opt for sand greens or artificial turf as more affordable alternatives. Artificial putting greens are also available for indoor and outdoor personal use, offering a convenient way to practice putting without having to go to a golf course. These synthetic greens aim to replicate the look and feel of real grass while providing a durable and low-maintenance option.
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Frequently asked questions
A golf course located in a sandy area along the coast is called a "links" course.
A golf course with man-made features like dug bunkers, ponds, and built-up rough is called a "parkland" course.
The area between the tee and the green where the grass is cut short is called the fairway.
The longer grass around the green is often referred to as the fringe or rough.
A hole that has been filled with sand is called a "bunker" or "sand trap".
