Golf course

Aerial view of a golf course (Golfplatz Wittenbeck at the Baltic Sea, Germany)

A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes,[1] and as such most courses contain 18 distinct holes; however, there are many 9-hole courses and some that have holes with shared fairways or greens. There are also courses with a non-standard number of holes, such as 12 or 14.[2][3]

The vast majority of golf courses have holes of varying length and difficulties that are assigned a standard score, known as par, that a proficient player should be able to achieve; this is usually three, four or five strokes. Par-3 courses consist of holes all of which have a par of three. Short courses have gained in popularity; these consist of mostly par 3 holes, but often have some short par 4 holes.[4]

Many older courses are links, often coastal. The first golf courses were based on the topography of sand dunes and dune slacks with a ground cover of grasses, exposed to the wind and sea.[5] Courses are private, public, or municipally owned, and typically feature a pro shop. Many private courses are found at country clubs.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SGH18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Do 12-hole golf courses have a chance". 18 August 2010. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021.
  3. ^ Lu, Garry (14 April 2021). "Barnbougle Opens 'Bougle Run': A Stunning 14-Hole Short Course".
  4. ^ "Short Courses Are Gaining Favor With Golfing Families". The New York Times. 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA) (2017). "Golf Courses as Designed Landscapes of Historic Interest. Historic England Research Report 42/2017". research.historicengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2020.