Golf course facts for kids

For other uses, see Golf course (disambiguation).

Aerial view of a golf course near the Baltic Sea in Germany.

A golf course is a special outdoor area where people play the sport of golf. It has many different "holes," and each hole is like a mini-challenge. Every hole starts with a tee box, then there's a wide, grassy area called the fairway, and rougher grass called the rough. There are also tricky spots called hazards, like sand traps or water. Finally, each hole ends with a smooth, short-grass area called the green, which has a small cup in the ground. A flagstick, or "pin," stands in the cup so players can see it.

Most golf games, called a "round," have 18 holes. So, most golf courses have 18 unique holes. But some courses have 9 holes, and players can play them twice for a full game. There are also courses with different numbers of holes, like 12 or 14.

Each hole on a golf course has a "par" score. This is the number of swings (strokes) a good player should take to get the ball into the cup. Par is usually three, four, or five strokes. Some courses are called "par-3 courses" because all their holes are designed to be finished in three strokes. Shorter courses are becoming popular. They mostly have par-3 holes, but sometimes a few short par-4 holes too.

Many old golf courses are called "links courses." These are often found near the coast. The first golf courses were built on natural sandy areas with grass, exposed to the wind and sea. Golf courses can be owned by private clubs, businesses, or even local governments. Many private courses are part of country clubs.

How are Golf Courses Designed?

Kytäjä Golf in Kytäjä, Hyvinkää, Finland.

Designing a golf course is a special kind of landscape design. Some golf course designers become famous, like Alister MacKenzie. Others are professional golfers who know a lot about how a course should be set up, like Jack Nicklaus. There are groups for golf course architects, but many top designers choose not to join them.

Even though golf courses often follow the natural land, some changes are always needed. This is especially true for new courses built on less ideal land. For example, sand bunkers are usually built by designers unless they are already there naturally.

Golf courses are planned using traditional rules. This includes how many holes there are (usually 9 or 18) and their par values. Designers also try to place greens close to the next tee box. This makes it easier for players to move around the course. They also mix shorter and longer holes to keep things interesting.

To fit all the fairways into a space, they often create a pattern where holes go in opposite directions. Sometimes, two holes might even share the same tee box, fairway, or green. It's also common to have different tee-off spots for men, women, and beginners. These are usually closer to the green for easier play.

Eighteen-hole courses are often split into a "front 9" (holes 1–9) and a "back 9" (holes 10–18). On older courses, especially links courses, the holes might form one big loop. You play "out" away from the clubhouse and then "in" back towards it. Newer courses often have two separate loops, each starting and ending at the clubhouse. This makes it easy to play just 9 holes or stop for a snack.

A good golf course design looks beautiful and is fun to play. Since golf is an outdoor activity, designers need to understand how plants, water, paths, and different types of grass work together.

What is Par?

Most golf courses have holes with par-3, par-4, or par-5 scores. A few courses even have par-6 holes. Only two courses in the world, Ananti CC and Satsuki golf course in Sano, Japan, have par-7 holes!

The par for a hole is mostly decided by its length from the teeing ground to the putting green. Holes are usually given par values between three and five. This includes the number of swings a good golfer should take to reach the green, plus two putts (short rolls of the ball on the green). Sometimes, other things like how high up the course is, the land's shape, or obstacles (like water) can change the par. For example, a hole going uphill might play longer than its actual distance.

Here are the typical distances for par holes, according to the United States Golf Association:

For Men:

Par 3 – Under 260 yards (240 m)
Par 4 – 240–490 yards (220–450 m)
Par 5 – 450–710 yards (410–650 m)
Par 6 – 670 yards (610 m) or longer

For Women:

Par 3 – Under 220 yards (200 m)
Par 4 – 200–420 yards (180–380 m)
Par 5 – 370–600 yards (340–550 m)
Par 6 – 570 yards (520 m) or longer

Parts of a Golf Course

Golf course features:
1 = teeing area
2 = penalty area
3 = rough
4 = out of bounds
5 = fairway bunker
6 = penalty area
7 = fairway
8 = putting green
9 = flagstick
10 = hole

Teeing Area

The first part of every hole is the teeing ground, or tee box. There are usually several tee boxes to choose from. Each one is a different distance from the hole, and sometimes offers a different angle to start your shot. This gives players different levels of difficulty. The teeing ground is usually flat, with very short grass, similar to the putting green. Most are slightly raised.

Each tee box has two markers that show where you can legally place your ball. The teeing area is between these markers and extends two club-lengths behind them. You can stand outside this area, but your ball must be placed and hit from inside it. You can place your ball directly on the grass or use a small stand called a tee (which can be up to four inches high).

Fairway and Rough

Typical doglegs. Left: "dogleg left". Right: "double dogleg"

After your first shot from the tee, you hit the ball from where it landed. This spot is called its "lie." If your ball is in play and not out of bounds or in a hazard, you must hit it from where it lies.

The area between the tee box and the putting green, where the grass is cut short and even, is called the fairway. This is where you want your ball to land! The area outside the fairway, where the grass is cut higher and is often coarser, is called the rough. It's harder to hit the ball well from the rough.

On par-3 holes, players are expected to hit their ball directly onto the green from the tee. On longer holes (par 4 or 5), players usually need at least one more shot to reach the green.

Many holes are designed so you can see the green from the tee. But some holes bend to the left or right. This is called a "dogleg," because it looks like a dog's bent leg. If it bends left, it's a "dogleg left." If it bends right, it's a "dogleg right." A hole can even bend twice, which is called a "double dogleg."

Fairway and rough at Spur Valley Golf Course, Canada.

The type and height of grass on the fairway and rough are important. They affect how the ball rolls and how easily a player can hit down into the ball. Fairways on professional tours, like the PGA Tour, are cut very low. The grass in the rough at big tournaments, like the U.S. Open, can be very tall (3 to 5 inches). This makes it tough for players to recover if they hit a bad shot.

The Green

The 18th hole at the Old Head Golf Links in Old Head of Kinsale.

The putting green, or just the green, is a very special area of super short grass around the hole. It's very smooth and even, so players can make precise shots called "putts." You usually use a "putter" club for this, which makes the ball roll smoothly along the ground and, hopefully, into the cup.

Greens can be shaped in many ways, but they are usually flatter than other parts of the course. Gentle slopes and bumps can make putting more challenging. Greens typically don't have sand or water hazards *inside* them. However, these hazards are often placed right next to the green. Depending on the green's shape and where the hole is placed (it changes daily to prevent wear), you might not have a straight line to the cup.

Golfers "read" the green to help them putt. This means figuring out how fast the ball will roll, which way the grass grows (called "grain"), and any slopes. Most putts are not hit straight at the hole. Instead, you have to aim to the side to account for the green's features. The best players walk around the green to study it before they putt. Many golfers think reading the green and putting are the hardest parts of golf.

The green is usually surrounded by slightly taller grass called the fringe. This grass is cut between the height of the green and the fairway. The fringe helps slow down balls that roll off the green, stopping them from going too far. You can putt from the fringe, but the taller grass can get in the way. So, players often use an iron club to make a "chip shot" or "bump and run." This makes the ball fly a short distance and then roll like a putt.

The grass on the green is cut very short so the ball can roll far. Many greens use "bent grass," which is good for colder winters and warmer summers. Bent grass is considered the best because it can be cut very low and doesn't have a "grain" that affects the ball's roll. However, it can get weeds that are expensive to remove.

Flagstick at Spur Valley Golf Course.

Another common type of grass for greens is "Bermuda grass," which is better for very warm summers and mild winters. Bermuda grass is more expensive to maintain and has a "grain" that affects how the ball rolls.

The hole, or cup, is always on the green. It must be 108 millimeters (4.25 in) wide and at least 10 centimeters (3.94 in) deep. Its spot on the green changes every day. This helps prevent too much wear on one area. A greenskeeper cuts a new hole with a special tool and moves the cup. The old hole is filled in with the grass plug from the new hole. A flag on a pole, called a "flagstick" or "pin," is placed in the hole so players can see it from a distance.

Not all greens are the same quality. The best ones are well-kept, so the ball rolls smoothly. Golfers say a green is fast if a light putt makes the ball roll far. A slow green needs a stronger putt to go the same distance. You can measure a green's speed with a stimp meter. But it's against the rules of golf to test the green's speed by rolling a ball or touching it during play.

It costs a lot to build and take care of grass greens. To save money, some courses for casual players use sand greens instead of grass. Recently, artificial turf has become popular. It looks and feels more like real grass than sand, and it's cheaper to maintain.

Hazards

Water hazard, sand trap, and dense plants on the 13th hole at Ridgefield Golf Course, Connecticut.

Golf holes often have hazards. These are special areas with extra rules for playing. There are two main types:

Water hazards: These include ponds, lakes, and rivers.
Bunkers: These are also called sand traps.

If your ball lands in a hazard, special rules apply. For example, you can't touch the ground or water with your club before you hit the ball. You can usually play the ball from the hazard without a penalty. But if you can't hit it from there, you can move the ball to another spot, usually with a one-stroke penalty.

Bunkers are sandy areas, often lower than the fairway, with a raised edge. It's harder to hit the ball from sand than from grass because the ball might sink into the sand. Also, the loose sand and slopes in bunkers make it tricky to stand properly. Like with water hazards, you can't touch the sand with your club (except during your swing), and you can't move loose items like leaves or stones before you hit the ball.

Golf courses might also have other challenging features that good players try to avoid. These include pits or depressions (sometimes called "earth bunkers" if not filled with sand), tall grass, thick plants, trees, rocky areas, or steep hills. While these make play harder, they are usually not called "hazards" unless the course specifically marks them as such.

Practice Areas

A practice range with 43 tees, 20 of which are covered.

Many golf courses have practice areas, like a driving range. These usually have practice greens, bunkers, and large open areas for hitting long shots. Markers show how far you're hitting the ball. Driving ranges are also found on their own, separate from a golf course, where people can just practice or have fun hitting balls.

Sometimes, there's even a practice course. These are often shorter and easier than a full course. Players can use them to see how far they hit with different clubs or to improve their swing. Practice courses might be made from old holes that are kept for practice or used as backup if a main hole is damaged. For example, a 21-hole course might have three extra holes for practice or as substitutes.

Signature Holes

Many golf courses have a "signature hole." This is usually the most memorable, beautiful, or photogenic hole on the course.

Different Kinds of Golf Courses

Links Courses

Domburgsche, a links course in the Netherlands.

"Links" is a Scottish word that means "rising ground" or "ridge." It describes sandy coastal areas, and sometimes similar areas inland. Golf has been played on links land in Scotland since the 1400s.

Links land wasn't good for farming or building cities because it had shallow soil and sandy ground. So, it was often used by local people for fun, grazing animals, and other activities.

The short grass and natural drainage of links land were perfect for golf. Areas of longer grass, heather, small bushes, and exposed sand created the challenges we see on modern courses. Early links courses were near the sea, but the sea itself wasn't often used as a hazard. This might be because the sand dunes near the water were unstable, and golf balls were expensive to lose! Links courses naturally have no trees, and their coastal location means wind and weather are a big part of playing golf there.

Traditional links courses often have holes arranged in pairs along the coast. Players would play "out" from the town to the farthest point, then "in" back towards the clubhouse. Holes might even share fairways or greens to save space. However, this is rare now because of the risk of balls hitting players coming the other way.

Famous links courses include the Old Course at St. Andrews, often called the "Home of Golf." The Open Championship, golf's oldest major tournament, is always played on a links course. Links-style courses are now built all over the world, trying to copy the natural, treeless land with deep bunkers found in Scotland.

Executive and Par-3 Courses

An executive course or short course is a golf course that has a much lower total par than a typical 18-hole course. There are two main types:

A "9-hole course" usually has only 9 holes instead of 18. It still has a mix of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes, usually with a total par of 34 to 36. You can play it once for a quick game or twice for a full round.
A "par-3 course" has either 9 or 18 holes, and every hole is a par 3 (usually 240 yards or less from the men's tee). This means there are no par-4 or par-5 holes. So, an 18-hole par-3 course would have a total par of 54, instead of the usual 68–72. Some par-3 courses still need you to use a wood club for some tee shots.

These types of courses let you play a round faster than on a standard course. They got their name because they were popular with business executives who could play during a long lunch break. They're also popular with young people because you can often play a full round after work before it gets dark.

The popularity of 9-hole courses has gone down. A full 18-hole course still lets players play just the "front nine" or "back nine" if they want a shorter game. But it also attracts more golfers who want to play a traditional 18-hole round.

On the other hand, par-3 courses, especially Pitch and Putt, are becoming more popular. They offer a good middle ground between the long time and high skill needed for a traditional 18-hole course, and the simpler game of miniature golf.

Pitch and Putt

A "par 3" or pitch and putt course in Shibden Hall, England.

Pitch and putt is a sport similar to golf, sometimes called chip and putt. For international competitions, the longest hole can be 90 metres (100 yd), and the total course length can't be more than 1,200 metres (1,310 yd). Players can only use three clubs: two irons and one putter. The game is played from raised artificial teeing areas using a tee, and it has its own way of tracking player skill (handicap system).

Who Owns and Manages Golf Courses?

There are three main ways golf courses are owned and managed: private, commercial, and municipal (public).

Private Courses

A private course is owned and run by a golf club for its members. It doesn't aim to make a profit. Many older courses, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, are private. Some, like Augusta National, are very exclusive. You can only play there if a member invites you and plays with you. Others might let visitors play at certain times, but you might need to book ahead and show you're a good golfer.

Commercial Courses

A commercial course is owned and run by a private company to make money. They might be built to attract visitors to a hotel or resort, or as the main feature of a new housing development. Some are exclusive Country Clubs, while others are "Pay and Play" courses open to everyone. Famous examples include Pinehurst in the USA and Gleneagles in Scotland.

Public Courses

A public course is owned and run by a local government. It's for the benefit of both local people and visitors. Some historic Scottish golf courses, like St Andrews and Carnoustie, are public. Bethpage in the USA is another example. More and more, governments are hiring private companies to manage their public courses, or sometimes even selling them.

Associated Clubs

Many commercial and public golf courses have golf clubs connected to them. These clubs organize competitions for their members and might have their own clubhouse facilities. In the UK, some older private clubs have "Artisan" clubs. These were originally for people who could play golf at a lower cost if they helped work on the course for free. These clubs can be separate from the course management or have different levels of connection.

Golf Courses and the Environment

A golf course in Grindavík, Iceland, surrounded by lava fields.

People have become more concerned about how golf courses affect the environment since the 1960s. Some worries include how much water is needed for irrigation and the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are also concerns about destroying wetlands and other important natural areas when building courses.

The United Nations estimates that golf courses around the world use about 2.5 billion gallons (9.5 billion liters) of water every day. Many golf courses now use water that isn't safe for drinking, like treated wastewater or collected rainwater. In 1988, the United States Environmental Protection Agency stopped the use of a chemical called Diazinon on golf courses because it harmed birds.

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that Utah's golf courses use about 38 million gallons of water daily. That's enough water to fill almost 58 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Because of environmental concerns, cost, and health worries, people are researching better ways to manage golf courses. They are looking for more eco-friendly practices and types of grass. Golf course managers are often trained in these new methods. This has led to a big reduction in the amount of water and chemicals used on courses. Golf course grass can also help filter water, and some communities use them to clean grey water.

Using natural creeks and ponds is good for golf course design because they look nice and make the game harder. However, these areas often include wetlands that are not good for golfing. So, they are sometimes filled in and raised to stay dry. In dry areas, builders might not be allowed to grow non-native grass on the fairways, only on the greens.

Modern golf equipment lets players hit the ball much farther than before. Because of this, and for safety reasons, golf course designers have had to make courses longer and wider. A course that was 7,000 yards long used to be rare. Now, courses of 7,500 yards are common, and some are even thinking about 8,000-yard courses. This means about a 10% increase in the land needed for a typical course. At the same time, water rules in communities have made courses limit how much grass they maintain. While most modern 18-hole courses can take up to 60 hectares (150 acres) of land, the average course has 30 hectares (74 acres) of maintained grass.

Golf courses can be built on sandy coasts, old farms, former mines, deserts, and forests. Many Western countries have rules about where and how courses can be built to protect the environment.

In some parts of the world, building golf courses and resorts has caused disagreements. Some people see golf as a sport for the wealthy, so golf courses can become a target for opposition. Stopping golf tourism and its growth has become a goal for some land reform groups, especially in the Philippines and Indonesia.

In the Bahamas, opposition to golf developments has become a big national issue. People on islands like Great Guana Cay and Bimini are fighting against golf courses. They worry the courses will harm the delicate balance of their coral reefs and mangrove systems, which depend on nutrient-poor water.

In very dry places like Saudi Arabia, some golf courses are built on sand covered with oil. Players might use a roller on the "greens" to smooth the path before putting.

A unique course in Coober Pedy, Australia, has nine holes dug into mounds of sand, diesel fuel, and oil. There's no grass anywhere on the course! Players carry a small piece of astroturf to tee their ball from. Other Australian golf courses in dry areas sometimes use "scrapes" instead of greens. These are made of fine dirt that needs raking after use, but doesn't need watering.