Golf Course

by Gregg A. Johnson ~ Last Updated:

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 windmills or other 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. I mean, you're going to need A LOT of land! 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!

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!

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.

The golf course that we play most often used to be a cow pasture. The rolling hills that used to have Holstein's instead of golf carts make this particular golf course a lot of fun to try and get "up and down" on. 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 to hear on a golf course than the sound of your ball hitting a tree. 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!

Golf Course In The News


 Del Monte Golf Course is no pushover - Monterey County Herald

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:04:00 GMT

While both two-time defending champion Jeff Sluman and Tom Lehman ... historic Del Monte Golf Course, which is the other course at this weekend's Home Care and Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, can still leave ...


 More details emerge on Arsenal golf course - Quad-Cities Times

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:21:00 GMT

Rock Island Arsenal officials provided more details about taking the island’s golf course public during a news conference today. The new name will be the Arsenal Island Golf Course, and it will be open to the ...


 Plainsboro, NJ golf course groundskeeper became trapped after 2,000-pound lawnmower ... - Morris County Daily Record

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:57:00 GMT

PLAINSBORO — A groundskeeper at the Meadows at Middlesex Golf Course became pinned under a 2,200-pound lawn mower after the machine slid into a pond and overturned Monday morning, police said. Donald Kelber ...


 Sheriff: Vandals' Joyrides Damage Golf Course - Wbaltv.com

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:15:00 GMT

IJAMSVILLE, Md. -- Vandals have damaged the Holly Hills Country Club in Ijamsville, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. Flagpoles were destroyed, golf vehicles and fence posts were damaged and the sod on ...


 Economically struggling Michigan city hopes golf course will help pull it out of ... - Chicago Tribune

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:35:00 GMT

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A city on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan that is beset with troubles is looking for hope from an unlikely source. It's a huge luxury golf course. Violent crime, racial strife, steep ...