Golf Courses - Overview and Design
Overview
Golf course architecture and design
While no two courses are alike, many can be classified into one of the
following broad categories:
* Links courses: the most traditional type of golf course, of which some
century-old examples have survived in the British isles. Located in
coastal areas, on sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few water hazards
and few if any trees. Traditional links courses, such as The Old Course
at St. Andrews, are built on "land reclaimed from the sea," that is land
that was once underwater.
* Parkland courses: typical inland courses, often resembling traditional
British parks, with lawn-like fairways and many trees.
* Heathland – a more open, less-manicured inland course often featuring
gorse and heather and typically less wooded than “parkland” courses.
Examples include Woodhall Spa in England and Gleneagles in Scotland.
* Desert courses: a rather recent invention, popular in Australia, parts
of the USA and in the Middle East. Desert courses require heavy
irrigation for maintenance of the turf, leading to concerns about the
ecological consequences of excessive water consumption. A desert course
also violates the widely accepted principle of golf course architecture
that an aesthetically pleasing course should require minimal alteration
of the existing landscape. Nevertheless, many players enjoy the unique
experience of playing golf in the desert.
* Sand courses: instead of a heavily irrigated 'green', the players play
on sand.
* Snow courses: another rather recent invention; golf being played on
snow, typically with an orange colored or another brightly colored ball.
Can be played in Arctic or sub arctic regions during winter.
In America design varies widely, with courses such as the entirely
artificial Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, where a course replete with
waterfalls was created in the desert, and on the other end of the
spectrum, Rustic Canyon outside of Los Angeles, which was created with a
minimal amount of earth moving resulting in an affordable daily green
fee and a more natural golfing experience.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_courses
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