[Course Management] 골프코스
1. Geographic Setting : 코스의 지형적 특성 이해
Geographic Setting (예. Links(Seaside), Prairie, Parkland, Desert, Mountain, or Tropical)
아래 내용은 굳이 번역할 필요를 느끼지 못해 원문 그대로 정리해 드립니다.
참조만 하시고, 우리나라의 코스는 대부분 Mountain 혹은 Parkland로 이해하시면 될 것 같습니다.
종종 스코틀랜드 형식을 따라 Links로 만들었다고 선전은 합니다만, 언듈레이션과 벙커 정도 흉내를 낸 코스가 대부분입니다.
잔디 및 주변 환경은 절대 같을 수 없습니다.
참조만 하십시오.
1. Links (Seaside)
St. Andrews (The Home of Golf)
- The trick to playing the Old Course is to aim shots inward, which results in tougher approaches but avoids unplayable lies in the heather and gorse on the boundaries.
- Curiously, when the hole numbers of each set of double greens (14) are combined, they add up to 18. The traditional number of holes on a course!
- 1, 10, 17, 18 are single greens.
Sandy, undulating hills or dunes, formed by waves and wind.
- To golfers who were raised on parkland or mountain courses, links courses lack apparent definition.
- The openness of the seaside setting does not provide natural markers in order to judge distances.
- “You play links courses by Braille.” Perhaps a caddie would be a good idea?
Links courses have an irregular quality about them.
- As you walk them, your feet begin to feel the many bumps and rolls.
- The hidden swales reveal more contour than expected.
- The ground traditionally is firm, sharp bounces are common, and tiny pot bunker excruciating.
The installation and extensive use of modern irrigation systems have made many links courses much lusher, thereby softening them and, in the process, compromising some of their unique playing characteristics.
-Tom Watson, 5-time open champion
Generally, links courses feature indigenous fescue grass.
- Fescue rough tends to be swirly and light, and tends to produce tight (thin) lies.
- Playing out of it is fairly easy due to its light clubhead resistance.
The other forms of rough (Gorse and heather), are a different story.
- When in doubt, use a lofted club and play to the fairway, it will save you strokes and ligaments!
Links courses rely heavily on the wind to provide part of the challenge.
- Some would argue that seaside courses without wind are relatively tame.
- Success on seaside courses often depends on your ability to gauge winds.
- Know the wind currents to “align” shots more effectively.
From a shot-making standpoint, the low, along-the-ground, bump-and-run, and knockdown shots are necessary weapons on a properly maintained links course.
Under true links conditions, being able to keep the ball low and run it to the hole will definitely help your score.
2. Prairie
Cousins to inland heath courses (open heartland) which were off-shoots of the original linksland courses.
- Heathland, which shares important drainage similarities with links, and is almost ideal for “laying out” a course.
On the American side, prairies are located in the region known as the Great Plains.
- Oak Tree’s East Course (Oklahoma)
- Prairie Dunes (Kansas)
- Hazeltine National (Minnesota)
- Dismal River (Nebraska)
- Sand Hills Country Club (Nebraska)
- Harborside International, Port Course (Illinois)
Prairie courses are bordered by rich farmland in areas such as:
- The pampas (grasslands) of Argentina
- The Transkei of South Africa
- … and Australia
Prairie courses are similar to links courses in a # of respects:
- Susceptible to winds, often fierce, from different directions
- Looming horizons influences perception
- Determine distances incrementally by breaking a hole into small parts and locating intermediate markers you can judge with accuracy and length (i.e., edge of a bunker, a rise in a mound, a notable landmark)
Prairie courses are in regions subject to radical and surprising weather changes which debilitates even the strongest players:
- Sharp winds
- Cold spells
- Severe thunderstorms
- Tornadoes
- Searing heat
Temperatures can change dramatically in the span of a few minutes, affecting everything from the distance the ball carries, to the amount of clothing you may need.
- Such courses require the ability to adjust to the elements (often several times during the round) to perform at your best.
3. Parkland
When courses moved inland from the sea, and began to be carved out of North American woods and forests, the first parkland-style courses were created.
Trees are an integral part of the playing challenge.
- They act as perceptual guides for the players.
- They can also be penal hazards, which force you to take additional strokes and incur penalties.
- They also obscure vision and hide other features of a course.
Courses cut from heavy tree stands have a “chute” feeling.
- Keeping your driver in the bag is often sound strategy.
Grasses frequently are heavy and lush, often providing good lies in the fairway.
- On the downside, because of clay soil, more moisture, and sodden turf, you tend to get less roll (especially in the rough).
Fairways frequently are sweeping, with rolling character.
- You can use these contours to your advantage.
- Rolling slopes force you to consider intended landing areas carefully, because shots frequently finish on side-hill angles or roll into unforeseen difficulties.
- Gauging roll accurately is important.
A significant factor on a parkland course is the character of the wind, which is usually a “zephyr”, as contrasted with a gusty seaside breeze.
A “zephyr” wind is the result of wind being channeled into a narrow area (fairway), and therefore creating a much higher swirling boomerang effect. (i.e., one way at the tee and another at the green).
When “zephyr” winds are present, be extra careful to evaluate their force and effect.
- Scan the tops of trees for movement.
- Sometimes you can’t feel it, other times it comes from a totally unexpected direction.
In the United States, parkland courses are concentrated most heavily in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and Northwest.
- Winged Foot Golf Club (Northeast)
- Merion Golf Club (Northeast)
- Augusta National Golf Club (Southeast)
- Medinah Country Club (Midwest)
- Eugene Country Club (Northwest)
- Atlanta Country Club (Southeast)
4. Desert
At one time, deserts were perceived as poor sites for golf courses.
- New irrigation, earth-moving, and maintenance techniques now give designers more options.
Topographically speaking, deserts are predominately level, but can feature noticeable elevation changes when located near mountains.
A prime example is the Mountain Course, La Quinta Hotel Golf Club, La Quinta, CA (Palm Springs).
- While the site is mainly flat, many holes are nestled against mountains and offer deceptive uphill and downhill transitions not normally associated with desert courses.
Areas of inland California, the Southwest, and Florida have similar terrain.
- Surprisingly, Florida has many courses with desert characteristics, with little variation in topography combined with sand soil.
When playing a desert course, be aware that designers often work overtime creating features in these settings.
- Non-indigenous grasses (fairways & greens).
- Lakes manufactured for visual contrast and improved aesthetics.
- Designers go to extremes to relieve flatness by creating elevations (including mounds that offer both obstructions and crazy caroms).
Desert sun produces an intensity of light and shadow that can distort perception.
- The shimmering heat sometimes creates a mirage effect.
- The warm air is usually still and dry.
- The desert air, like mountain air, is thin, so allow for extra distance.
- You may encounter cold air pockets that can deaden shots in the early morning or twilight hours.
Desert fairways and greens have 3 common characteristics due to the sandy composition of the soil. Together, these factors result in extra bounce and roll, increasing distance.
1.Very firm.
2.Intense sunlight combined with today’s irrigation systems allows for healthy growth of turfgrass, which can be tightly manicured (tight dense grass).
3.Extra roll can make your short-game and recovery play more difficult, due to reduced control in stopping the ball on the greens.
In states like Arizona, where water for irrigation is at a premium, and governmental limitations on the amount of playable acreage are present, designers are often forced into creating tight, narrow courses.
Theses constraints are heightened by the fact that desert rough and transition areas are difficult to recover from.
- In this regard, a desert course mirrors a links in that areas off the fairway contain native vegetation.
- Additional fieldwork is required to discover which growths are playable (avoid jumping choro-cactus).
Desert courses are sometimes situated on rising plateaus near the foothills of mountain ranges.
- Frequently coyotes think they’re members.
In addition to dramatic backdrops, these arid mountains offer designer options for creating contour, elevation, and perception puzzles.
- Errant shots will often find rock outcroppings and reptiles.
5. Mountain
For sheer beauty, probably nothing compares to mountain courses.
Mountain courses feature dramatic change in elevation and often gives players the feeling of negotiating a ski slalom course.
- These courses are exhilarating but require precision and clear thinking.
Because of the topography, many holes are routed through narrow canyons, and accuracy is a must.
- Do not hesitate to sacrifice yardage for direction.
- It is easier to take a lesser club than hunt for an errant 300-yard drive.
6. Tropical
Caribbean Islands, Mexico Jungles, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific.
Unlike desert environments, where there is a sparse vegetation and trees, the forests and jungles pose opposite problems for designers and golfers.
In many tropical areas, particularly the islands of the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the South Pacific, trade winds affect the design of holes.
Lush vegetation forces designers to use special techniques for routing holes.
It (the vegetation) and the different composition of grasses changes the way the ball plays off them.
Grasses in these parts of the world can be tough as wire brushes such as …
- Kuchgrass
- Elephantgrass
- Zoysia
Throughout the tropics, the native grasses frequently pose much greater golfing challenges than are encountered in more temperate climates.
Many jungles grow on mountains, so courses built here combine mountain and jungle environments.
- i.e., Caribbean, errant shot ends up in jungle ravines bordering fairways.
- i.e., Malaysia & Philippines, “edges” (the natural areas just off the fairway) would be easier to attack with a machete than a 5-iron, and offer no hope of recovery (accuracy is mandatory unless you like snakes).
Jungle environments conceal dangerous obstacles that magnify the challenge and excitement.
- At Royal Selangor Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, wild monkeys have sometimes chased golfers.
- In certain areas, various reptiles reside in the foliage adjacent to tees and greens.
On some courses in Asia, you’ll find a local rule that provides:
- “A player may remove a ball 2 club lengths for a coiled cobra or sleeping tiger without penalty of death”. He or she may also run!
Maintenance on tropical courses is often difficult, so be prepared to play in less than perfect conditions.
- Grass can grow uncontrollably and sporadically in these regions, causing a variety of lies.
