Golf course designers and architects often have a huge responsibility bestowed upon them. Building a golf course is a huge undertaking that costs a great deal of money. As such, it is only detrimental to get a seasoned architect who will keep costs running at a minimum without compromising on the playability or the overall look of the golf course.
It is not a must requirement but hiring an architect who has golf experience is important. Their vast knowledge of the sport is detrimental. From shaping holes to determining the appropriate golf course sand, such architects will only be a valuable asset during the designing process.
With that in mind, below are other factors to consider when building a golf course.
- Land available
One of the most crucial parts of designing a golf course is knowing how much land is available. The size of the land should be carefully factored into the design process. The reason being, this is what will determine how long or wide the golf course will run.
If the golf course space is limited, it would be better to avoid extra-long par 5s and par 3 holes that would require a golfer to take a long tee shot. The same applies to the long par 4s.
In such a scenario, an architect would lower the par to use less area.
- Natural features
It is quite common for vast lands to have natural elements already in place. So, when you purchase land for a golf course, have a look at all the natural features on the land and have your architect factor them into the course’ design.
Some of the natural features that would work well in a golf course include rivers, hills, and streams to name but a few.
Creative architects will use large masses of water to create an element of danger on several holes.
- Difficulty level of the golfers
Another thing that should be factored during designing is the expected difficulty level of the golfers. As much as all golf course owners would want to have a PGA Tour-caliber golf course, it is only professional to consider the average golfer.
A great golf course should be able to provide a reasonable challenge for the intermediate golfer. A well-structured and designed golf course should have both difficult and less difficult holes spread throughout the golf course.
Some golf courses will have room for the beginner. They will have special classes and designated areas where classes will do one. All this is in a bid to cater to the different skill levels of the golfers.
- Compact design
If you have no enough money to splurge, let your architect build a compact golf course for you.
A compact design will keep the budget down and use less land. One way to do this is by putting holes parallel to each other. The greens can then be placed close to the next hole’s tee box. Doing this will minimize the use of property, as opposed to scattering holes throughout the land.
