Our glossary of golf course terms is one part of our larger Glossary of Golf Terms. If you need the definition of golf course term, we explain terms relating to architecture, maintenance, turfgrasses, course setup and other areas. The grid that appears first includes terms for which we have more in-depth definitions.
Sometimes called a roll-off area or run-off area. Cool-Season Grasses: Exactly what the name implies: Varieties of grass that grow best in cooler conditions, as opposed to hotter climates. Golf courses in cooler regions are likely to be turfed with a cool-season grass.
These manmade bodies of water are often more than just cosmetic, too, with many of them serving as catchments for rainwater, holding water for later irrigation use around the golf course. And those — golf holes, teeing areas, fairways, putting greens, rough, bunkers and penalty areas (water) — are the major elements that make up a golf course.
Also called a “fat” shot, or “chili-dipping”. Club (i) An implement used by a player to hit a golf ball. A player is allowed to carry up to fourteen (14) clubs during a round of golf. (ii) An organized group of golfers, usually owning or managing a golf course.
To play with the right club, you have to have a better understanding of the hole you are playing, especially its parts. Each hole in a course has 5 major parts namely Tee, Fairway, Green, Rough and Hazards. Understanding these parts allow you to plan your shots right.
The "clubhouse" is the main building at a golf course where golfers first head when arriving at the course. The clubhouse contains the pro shop, where golfers check in and pay, and usually includes some kind of food and drink service (whether a full-scale dining area, snack bar or simply drinks in a fridge).
In golf, "overseeding" refers to a maintenance process on golf courses in which grass seed is spread on top of the existing grass to promote new growth or to swap out seasonal turfs, replacing one type of grass with another.
The renovation is completed in two years so results are seen relatively quickly. It is also possible to schedule some preparatory and/or recuperative years in this method. In the preparatory years, it is possible to make minor changes including creation of high caliber temporary greens.
Sand bunkers provide a psychological landmark. They accentuate the hole and provide targets for directing the golfer to a defined landing area whether it is the fairway or green. Sand bunkers provide safety buffers for adjacent fairways, tees or greens, both physically and visually.
Tournament Players ClubTPC — which stands for Tournament Players Club — means that a golf course is part of a prestigious network of golf courses around the world.
But in southern states, golf course managers and operators use the practice of overseeding to keep conditions green during their fall and winter high seasons, mainly to cater to traveling golfers but also members who expect emerald turf when the weather is ideal.
Reseeding, which is also referred to as overseeding, involves sowing seed over existing grass to prevent thinning and bare patches. However, this doesn't have to be done every year. How often you should reseed your lawn depends on several factors, including the amount of traffic it receives and its overall condition.
most golf courses in the west and southeast have to plan when they undertake a major transformation. In Tucson and other warmer climes, the cooler winter weather causes the Bermuda grass to go dormant. It's loses all of it's color, looking more like cut straw, than luxurious turf. Hence, the need to overseed.
The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) recommends tee boxes be replaced every 15 years or so, possibly even sooner for courses whose tee box areas are insufficient for the amount of annual course play.
The actual construction time for a golf course from ground -breaking to opening can be from one to two years, depending on the weather and amount of equipment used. But today it often takes an additional one to two years to obtain all of the permits and required approvals before construction can begin.
The Custom Build Process takes approximately 10 days from placement of the order. Upon delivery of the clubheads, shafts, grips, accessories, etc, the process of Blue-Printing the golf clubs begins. Each piece is accurately measured and weighed.
When the greens on a beautiful old course cannot withstand the amount of play they receive because they are just too small, a change in architecture is necessary. Often this is an extremely difficult decision for the golfers and leadership of the course.
Golf has never experienced the popularity it now enjoys. While this has been good for the game and those who enjoy it, many older courses still have greens that were designed for much less play. The same “push-up”, 50 years old greens that might withstand 15,000 round per year, may fail completely under 30,000 rounds.
A very general rule for the life expectancy of greens is that the construction should last at least 20 years. Over that 20 year period there are likely to be major changes in the golfer’s expectations for how the greens should be maintained.
One good method of ensuring all aspects of the current growing conditions of the greens have been considered is to complete a USGA Report Card for each of the greens. Remove samples from the existing greens and submit them to an accredited, physical soils laboratory for analysis.
The agronomic aspects of the existing and proposed greens involve the greatest amount of science and technical considerations. The following procedure is recommended to determine whether or not the greens should be rebuilt.
Most often, greens are targeted for reconstruction because of their agronomic limitations. However, poor or inappropriate architecture is every bit as good a reason to rebuild as a root zone that does not drain.
After 20 years the greens will probably not drain well internally. Without question there will continue to be major changes in the legal and environmental aspects of golf course maintenance. And, like almost everything else, there will be major improvements in grasses over any 20 year period.
Being aware of and understanding the basic parts of a golf course, such as greens, fairways and bunkers, can better prepare golfers for success on the links.
Rough. The rough is the longer-cut area of grass surrounding the fairway and green. To be successful, avoid the rough, which is normally allowed to grow longer the farther it is located from the greens and fairways. Hitting from the rough means players must use more club than they normally would to reach the green.
When reading greens before a putt, pay attention to the highest point on the surface--putts will usually roll away from that point.
To hit from the rough more easily, play the ball slightly back in the stance and grip down on the club a little. That will help the clubface make direct contact with the ball.
Green. Greens, the most closely mowed areas of grass on the course, are where the hole is located and players putt. Greens can vary depending on the conditions of the course. For example, in hot, dry conditions, a green will play faster than usual and approach shots will be less likely to hold on the green. In wet conditions, the greens will be ...
The tee is located in the tee box, the close-cut area of grass at the beginning of each hole. Most golf courses have several tee boxes for players to choose depending on an individual’s skill level. The tees closer to the fairway are reserved for women and novices, with more skilled players likely choosing to hit from the back tees.
There are many different course styles including, traditional, links, desert, seaside, forested and each has something different to offer. Each golf course provides a different set of challenges depending on the design and layout of the course.
The dictionary definition of "golf course" is "the ground or course over which golf is played.". But if you're a beginner, those definitions probably don't help much. So: Golf courses are collections of golf holes. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, and a "full-sized" golf course contains 18 holes.
Every hole on a golf course has a starting point. The teeing area is that starting point. The teeing area, as the name implies, is the one place on a golf course where you are allowed to "tee up" your ball — to place the golf ball on top of a tee, lifting it off the ground.
Greens have the shortest grass on a golf course because they are designed for putting. You need short, smooth grass for putting; in fact, the official definition of "putting green" in the Rules of Golf is that area of a golf hole "that is specially prepared for putting.".
A typical golf course has three or more teeing areas per hole, but some have as many as six or seven on each hole . Once you've chosen the teeing area from which you are playing, you stick with those tees throughout the round.
The " par " for a golf course is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete play, typically 69 to 74, with par-70, par-71 and par-72 most common for 18-hole courses.
A golf hole generally comes in three varieties: 1 Par-3: Up to 250 yards for men and 210 yards for women 2 Par-4: 251 to 470 yards for men and 211 to 400 yards for women 3 Par-5: 471 yards to 690 yards for men and 401 to 575 yards for women
A golf hole always begins at the teeing area (which is also called a tee box or teeing ground), and always ends at the putting green. In-between is the fairway, and outside these areas is the rough. Hazards — bunkers and bodies of water called penalty areas — might show up on any hole, too. 03. of 09.
Chunk A swing that results in the clubhead hitting the ground before the ball, resulting in a large chunk of ground being taken as a divot. Also called a “fat” shot, or “chili-dipping”.
Most courses have at least three sets of tees, some have more than twice that many. The areas where tee markers are placed are called “tee boxes”. Tips The championship tees on a golf course are known as “the tips”. At Silverstone, the tips would be our set of silver tees.
Hole in One Getting the ball directly from the tee into the hole with one stroke.
Bump and run A low-trajectory shot that is intended to get the ball rolling along the fairway and up onto the green. Similar to a chip shot, but played from a greater distance.
Automatic Two-putt When a golf course, or tournament, declares that players may consider the ball to be holed in no more than two putts once their ball is on the putting surface (most commonly used as a tournament rule to speed up play) Example: Automatic two-putt is not allowed within the rules of golf, but courses can institute it as a local rule in casual play when conditions warrant.
Best ball A form of team play using two, three, or four person teams. The team score on each hole is the lowest score obtained by one of the team members. For example, if player A has a 5, player B has a 6, player C has a 4, and player D has a 5, the “best ball” and team score is a 4.
A player is allowed to carry up to fourteen (14) clubs during a round of golf. (ii) An organized group of golfers, usually owning or managing a golf course. (iii) The entirety of a golf facility, including course, club-house, pro-shop, practice areas etc. Clubhead The part of a club that used to strike the ball.
Golf Professional Job Description. Golf professionals, commonly called golf pros, are members of the Professional Golfers' Association. Most golf pros coach individuals and small groups to help them improve their technique. They oversee and implement golf workshops, summer camps for children and golf tournaments.
In many private golf clubs, golf pros manage the golfing operation. They supervise pro shop employees, manage tee time schedules and generate sales reports. In managerial roles, golf pros create staff schedules and supervise greenskeepers.
Golfers hire caddies to carry their golf bags and perform basic tasks. Caddies assist their golfers by handing them clubs as needed and storing them back in the bag after shots. Before each hole, a caddy must clean the golfer’s ball and clean the clubs throughout a game.
Many golf courses prefer golf pros who have earned a college degree. They may favor pros who have completed the PGA Professional Golf Management Program or hold United States Golf Teaching Federation certification.
Golf course divers descend into the murky waters of ponds to retrieve golf balls. Equipped with scuba gear, divers spend up to 10 hours per day underwater. Divers usually work in teams of three or four people, swimming across the bottom to collect balls by hand.
If a golfer lands a ball in a sand trap, the caddy must rake the sand after the shot to restore an even surface. When a golfer creates a divot in the fairway when taking a shot, the caddy must repair the green and plug the patch of grass. 00:00. 00:00 09:16. GO LIVE.
Some public courses need only a minimal staff to make reservations, collect greens fees and tend the grounds. Country clubs typically have clubhouses with restaurants, bars and event spaces, which require much larger staffs. But most golf courses employ a few key professionals.