Green Design
Green design involves more then just the putting surface. It extends from the immediate surrounds all the way back to the approach. A proper design will set up the golfer with options, no matter how, or where, they are approaching the green. A good green design can reward the golfer who challenges the trouble, while giving the golfer a bailout area puts doubt in their mind about where to hit the shot. They see the bailout area as a safer place and take their focus off the target. It is this lack of focus that separates the pros from the amateurs.
Siting the Green
Good green design starts with finding the proper green site. A good architect will review a piece of land and try to locate as many good green sites first and then develop the routing to the golf course. The architect should not pay any attention to how the course flows in terms of yardage and par
unless absolutely necessary. One does not want multiple holes of the same par playing in succession. However, a rule can always be broken if it leads to a great golf course. Cypress Point, which consistently ranks in the top 5 golf courses in the world, has consecutive par 5's on the front nine and consecutive par 3's on the back nine. This course seems to break all the "rules" of design. Finding a great green site is the best way to find a great golf hole.
Green Surrounds
When developing the green complex, some architects like to work from the putting surface outwards, and some like to work inwards from the surrounds. My approach varies depending on the green site. Finding a great green site will always lead to designing a green from the out going into the putting surface. This is because you have natural contours that you will keep in place and the green will fit within these contours. Minor modifications will be made to make sure the putting surface is playable.
When you site a green on flat ground, the typical approach will lead to developing the putting surface first and then adding interest to the surrounds as it relates to the entire hole. In a nutshell, when locating the green first, you end up designing from the green back to the tee. In the other scenario you end up design from tee to green. In either case a good designer can create an interesting golf hole.
Putting Surface
Developing interesting putting surfaces is completed in the field, not on paper. Designers may start their green design with grading plans or green details, but this is done to provide a starting point for the contractor. Once initial construction has taken place, the architect should spend extra time working with the contractor. Many times I'll even jumping on a piece of equipment myself to create the subtle rolls that make a green interesting. All golfers will rave about a course if it has good green complexes. That is what brings players back to play again.
Member American Society of Golf Course Architects
MICHAEL J. BENKUSKY, INC - GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE
3813 Sonoma Circle
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
815.474.8385