
- Think about how much time and space you have. It will be more work than you think to design the course, maintain it, and depending on how complex it ...
- Start with the equipment. Make sure you have a pitching wedge/sand wedge and a putter. ...
- Decide what kind of ground you will have the course on. ...
- Mow the fairway. It would be neat to mow every other row, so it's striped like a real fairway. You should mow the fairway every 3-4 days.
- Mow the green. To mow the green, set your mower blades to the lowest setting so the grass is extra short.
- Create 2-3 sand traps/hazards. Buy 2-3 large sandbags at a hardware store. You shouldn't need any more than three sand traps throughout your course.
- Finally, maintain your course! At real courses, they have crews come out every day to maintain the courses.
Full Answer
How do you build a golf course?
Steps Download Article
- Choose a location. Your green should be built on a spot that has sandy soil, plenty of sun and good drainage.
- Excavate the area of your golf green to a depth of 20 inches (51 cm). ...
- Design the green. ...
- Install the drainage system in 8-inch (20 cm) trenches to ensure that water will drain away from the center.
- Put in an irrigation system if necessary. ...
How to design a golf course in your backyard?
Tricks on How to Turn Your Backyard into a Golf Course
- Create the land space – If creating a golf course is in your mind, it could be assumed that you have at least some experience in playing the game on ...
- Focus on landscaping – This is important to create a sense of a golf course. ...
- Create some obstacles – Do this according to your wish. ...
- Maintenance – This part is also important. ...
How to decorate your mini golf course?
photo: jlaswilson via pixabay Get Creative with Toys. Create an obstacle course more challenging than your local mini-golf with toys you have around the house. Use LEGO bricks to build arches and tunnels; Hot Wheels tracks to create an extra-tricky way to level-up (bonus to anyone who can keep their ball on the track); books to create ramps and tunnels; and even stuffed animals to make gaps ...
How to build a golf course?
Golf course construction consists of 3 main phases if installed by a leading manufacturer like Integral. The installation process starts with the infrastructure, then continues with the irrigation system and finally it is completed with natural grass or artificial turf. Of course it would be much better to use artificial turf as it has more ...

How do you design golf course?
Think of them as your architecture guidelines: 8 do's and don'ts of golf design.Start with the green. The Golden Age architect A.W. ... Keep it entertaining. “Golf is a game,” Goetz says. ... Don't go full Golden Tee. ... Consider contours. ... Allow for recoveries. ... Place trouble in plain view. ... Accommodate all abilities. ... Draw to scale.
What makes a great golf course design?
Tee locations, green sizes, depth of bunkers, turf types and water hazards provide the personality of a golf course. That personality is the result of the architect's vision. Generally, golfers can sense the atmosphere of the golf course or feel the dread of a hazard but rarely understand why.
What are the 5 major components of 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.
What skills do you need to be a golf course designer?
Beyond passion, golf course designers must have a wide variety of skills, including the ability to problem-solve, understand construction materials and their limitations, as well as be able to communicate both in writing and verbally with a variety of administrators, bureaucrats, and other interested parties.
What makes a bad golf course?
The general feeling about bad, hard courses is that they punish players for good shots, have too many blind shots, have narrow playing areas (target golf), there are limited options for attacking a hole, similarity between the holes, forced layups, gimmicky design, unplayable rough.
What is golf course design?
Golf course design involves the challenging patterning and precise location of sand, grass, hills and slopes, and must be as visually pleasing as it is playable.
What is the 90 degree rule in golf?
The 90-Degree Rule Under this rule, carts are allowed on the fairway, but they must maintain a 90-degree angle from the cart path. You must take the cart path to a spot that is even with your ball, make a right angle turn and drive straight toward the ball. This rule may be in effect for all or some holes.
What is the tall grass on a golf course called?
Golf course fescue is usually grown in the second cut of rough or beyond (such as in unmowed native areas). When golfers think of fescue, they picture a sturdy grass that turns golden and can grow three feet high. It may also be used as an ornamental grass to frame a feature like a bunker.
What is the water on a golf course called?
A hazard is an area of a golf course in the sport of golf which provides a difficult obstacle, which may be of two types: (1) water hazards such as lakes and rivers; and (2) man-made hazards such as bunkers.
How does one become a golf course architect?
Golf course architects come from varying backgrounds, with training in landscape architecture, civil engineering, environmental studies, agronomy, golf course construction and professional golf, to name a few. The most common degree amongst golf architects is landscape architecture.
What is a golf course designer called?
Golf course architecture is a specific discipline of landscape design, with many architects represented in the United States by the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Some architects are highly successful professional golfers who went on to design golf courses.
What do golf course architects do?
Golf course architects are responsible for the topography and layout of a golf facility's playing surface, and they may also design the club facilities. They perform site evaluations and oversee construction work. Many golf course architects complete a landscape architecture bachelor's degree program.
What makes a great golf club?
Aaron Dill (Titleist/Vokey) – “A good golf club is a balance of versatility and forgiveness with a physical shape and color that draws you in and makes you feel confident every time you lay your eyes on it.” Roger Cleveland (Callaway Golf) – “It has to be properly fit, feel good, and visually it has to inspire.
How do you evaluate a golf course?
As with most property types, golf courses can be valued via the income approach, sales approach, or cost approach. Each method has its limitations. Given the specialized nature of golf course properties, the application of the comparable sales approach is preferred.
What are characteristics of Pete Dye golf courses?
TL;DRWood Planks / Railroad Ties.Long fairway bunkers between fairway and hazard.Plenty of Mini Bunkers.Greenside bunkers with giant lips.Double dogleg par 5s.Difficult 18th holes.
How do golf courses work?
0:052:51Learn About the Different Parts of a Golf Course | Golf - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt has four main zones the teeing ground the fairway the roof and the green firstly the teeingMoreIt has four main zones the teeing ground the fairway the roof and the green firstly the teeing ground the teeing ground can take different forms depending on the game.
How to make a golf course in your backyard?
1. Think about how much time and space you have. It will be more work than you think to design the course, maintain it, and depending on how complex it is, you may not be able to tear it down if you don't want it anymore. You will need a fairly large backyard in order to do this. Of course, it's just going to be one hole.
How to play golf in your backyard?
Start with the equipment. Make sure you have a pitching wedge/sand wedge and a putter. These are the only clubs you will really need if you're just golfing in your backyard. Make sure to have multiple balls, since you may lose some. Also make sure you have a good grass mower that can cut the grass nice and short.
How many sand traps do you need for a golf course?
You shouldn't need any more than three sand traps throughout your course. Try to have at least one along the side of the fairway and at least one in front, behind, or alongside the green. The sand traps should be no bigger than 5 feet (1.5 m). x 5 feet (1.5 m).
How long is the grass around a golf fairway?
Make sure the grass around the fairway is rather long ( 3-4 in.) so you have a rough. Also, always make sure the fairway is a little longer than the green. ...
How big should a golf green be?
Leave a few feet in between for the rough. The green should be, depending on the size of your course, roughly around 8 feet (2.4 m). x 8 feet (2.4 m). Try to make the green about the same width as the fairway.
How often do you mow a golf course?
At real courses, they have crews come out every day to maintain the courses. While you may not need to mow your course every day, just every 3-4 days, just take about 15-20 minutes from your day to check up on your course. Invite some friends over to play together, this will make it a lot more fun!
Is sand good for golf?
Sand and water are all well and good. But there are other ways to defend a golf hole. “It’s easy to throw 15 or 20 bunkers or a lake out there,” Goetz says. “But some of the more interesting strategic concepts are created with topography.”.
Is golf fun?
“Golf is a game,” Goetz says. “It should be fun.” Of course, like many elements of golf design, what qualifies as “fun” is subjective. But as a general rule, punishment does not equal pleasure. “Every course has to have a hardest hole,” Goetz says. “They have their place, but I don’t necessarily think of them as being fun to play. So, if I’m designing a single hole, over-the-top difficult is probably not the way I’d go.”
What is a golf course architect?
Your golf course architect will provide a detailed design package to reflect local planning submission requirements and make the planning process easier. Your golf course architect will also assist with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment should it be required.
What are the physical elements of a golf course?
Technical – is the site you are considering suitable for a golf course? A golf course architect will examine the physical elements of the site, such as land area, topography, soils, geology, vegetation, drainage and water availability.
What are the factors that determine the cost of a golf course?
Golf course design fees are dependent on a variety of factors, such as the type and scale of the project, its technical complexity, the planning approval process, the working practices of the individual golf course architect and the services and conditions imposed by clients.
Who develops a master plan for golf course?
The masterplan should be developed by a project team, which is usually led by the golf course architect and typically includes some or all of these specialisms: Your golf course architect will provide a detailed design package to reflect local planning submission requirements and ease the planning process. Land Planner.
How are golf course fees calculated?
Fees are usually calculated in one of three ways: As a percentage of the construction costs. A fixed price. A time rate. To understand more about the amount you will need to invest in engaging a golf course architect, read our advice on golf course design fees. Download:
What do golf course architects do?
Golf course architects do their best to design layouts that work in concert with Mother Nature and have a proven track record of knowledge of and compliance with local, regional and federal environmental regulations.
How can golf courses improve land?
Where land has been degraded over time by intensive use or mismanagement, golf courses can provide much needed land improvement. These are benefits that can result when an environmental approach is used for the design, construction and maintenance of a golf course.”.
Why do golf courses need renovations?
The most common reasons for renovation—which include, overcoming economic issues, correcting maintenance problems, making adjustments in design, improving aesthetics and restoring historic value —can be understood and efficiently managed by an experienced golf course architect.
What is an environmental approach to golf course development?
According to the 3rd edition of An Environmental Approach to Golf Course Development by Bill Love, ASGCA, “The development of a golf course has become a complex process. To deal with it, golf course architects provide the expertise necessary to create design solutions for golf courses that are compatible with the environment.
Why is it important to maintain a golf course?
Efficient and responsible maintenance practices for the golf course will promote the proper use and conservation of water resources. A golf course can provide enhancement to the environment by incorporating areas for conservation and the promotion of wildlife habitat.
What is the most copied par 3 in golf?
1. Redan. Design aficionados contend that the Redan is the most copied par 3 in golf. It first appeared at North Berwick (No. 37 on GOLF ’s Top 100 Courses in the World list) in Scotland, arriving in the U.S. in 1911 as one of C.B. Macdonald’s “ideal” holes at National Golf Links of America (No. 5).
What is the switchback golf course?
The switchback is a hallmark of Donald Ross's course designs, forcing golfers to hit good shots from a variety of angles to score well. 3. Switchback. Leave it to Donald Ross, America’s most prolific architect, to favor design concepts that keep golfers on their toes.
What greens do architects use to soften blind shots?
Since architects aren’t always demonic and twisted, especially those of the Golden Age (1910s to 1930s, roughly), they frequently soften blind shots by pairing them with Punchbowl greens. As the name suggests, this green design funnels the ball toward the middle of the putting surface.
What is the 17th hole in golf?
This simple design has stood the test of time and its origin, the 17th at the Old Course at St. Andrews (No. 3), is one of the most famous — if not the most famous — holes in golf.

Feasibility Studies
Design Concept
- Your golf course architect will assess design opportunities and restraints and review site surveys (see common limitations below). They combine these with your objectives and vision for a successful course to create a design concept which shows potential locations of all the major elements of the project. Common limitations- the common limitations ...
Masterplan
- Once the feasibility studies are complete, the Masterplan investigates how the design concept will convert into a course people are able to play on and enjoy. This is the stage when the golf course layout, including locations for the clubhouse and maintenance facilities, the playing surfaces and landscape character, location, style and size of features, e.g. lakes, streams, walls, bridges and p…
Planning Approval
- Planning requirements differ greatly from one country to another and obtaining planning permission can be burdensome and lengthy. Your golf course architect will provide a detailed design package to reflect local planning submission requirements and make the planning process easier. Your golf course architect will also assist with the preparation of an Environmental Impa…
Tenders
- Your golf course architect will prepare detailed documentation, including contracts, plans and specifications to allow the project to be tendered. If you need them to, they will also assist in evaluating tender responses and select the best contractors for you. The documentation may include plans for: 1. Grading 2. Drainage 3. Clearing 4. Irrigation 5. Grassing / landscaping 6. Gre…
Golf Course Construction
- As your golf course architect understands all elements of the build and will be your project leader, they will assist in developing an accurate construction programme. Part of their role is to regularly visit the site during construction to ensure the course is built according to the contract documents and agreed timetable.
Establishment
- At this point in the development, your golf course will nearly be ready for play, leaving just the final details before it can open. Your golf course architect will mark out mowing lines for the greens, fairways and roughs, and sand lines for the bunkers. The final stage of making their design a reality is to establish a maintenance regime with the course superintendent to create the overall …
Selecting A Golf Course Architect
- Do you want to do your own research into suitable golf course architects and approach them direct? Search the EIGCA member databaseto find an EIGCA member who fits your needs
- Do you want the EIGCA to do the legwork for you? Use our Member Referral Serviceby sending a brief to us and we will distribute it to our members on your behalf
- Do you want to organise a design competition? Find out how by using our competition guideli…
- Do you want to do your own research into suitable golf course architects and approach them direct? Search the EIGCA member databaseto find an EIGCA member who fits your needs
- Do you want the EIGCA to do the legwork for you? Use our Member Referral Serviceby sending a brief to us and we will distribute it to our members on your behalf
- Do you want to organise a design competition? Find out how by using our competition guidelines
Cost of Building A Golf Course
- Golf course design fees are dependent on a variety of factors, such as the type and scale of the project, its technical complexity, the planning approval process, the working practices of the individual golf course architect and the services and conditions imposed by clients. Fees are usually calculated in one of three ways: 1. As a percentage of the construction costs 2. A fixed p…