Golf Course Playing Surfaces

Golf greens should have a firm and smooth surface, which allows a golf ball to be putt and travel in the intended direction without deviation from minor surface disturbances. The green will drain well, without puddles being able to form during normal amounts of rainfall. The grass coverage should be uniform, not patchy, dense, mostly free of fine-leaved weeds and free of broad-leaved weeds, and without significant signs of pest or disease attack. Ideally the surface will be blemish free, but minor blemishes on the green from pests or disease attacks should be expected as part of a natural cycle for the grass plant as it is a living organism in an outdoor uncontrolled environment.

Golf tees should be firm and even, providing a good grip for golfers when hitting a ball from a tee. Grass coverage should be uniform, relatively free of fine leaved weeds and free of broad-leaved weeds, and without significant signs of pest or disease attack. The tee should be relatively free of divots, although these will be expected due to the nature of play taking place and should be repaired on a regular basis to ensure a smooth and even surface is provided for most of the time. Grass species present within a tee will be able to recover from wear, with rhizomatous grass species typically being an important component part of any seed mixture.

Golf fairways should have a smooth surface and may typically have gradual undulations within the area. A golf ball should be able to be struck with a firm footing from a fairway., whilst a ball rolling along a fairway should run in the direction it was hit and without deviations due to an irregular playing surface. There should not be any rabbit scrapes, or similar, and if present would need attending too as a matter of routine maintenance. The fairway should be well-defined, having a clear point of demarcation with that of the semi-rough or rough.

Golf semi-rough and rough should ideally have an open sward which is not too dense so as to allow golfers to more readily find balls hit in these areas. The height should be such as to act as a realistic challenge for golfers in recovering their shot and either getting back onto the fairway or the green.

Bunkers should have a smooth surface, have sand raked up the front of a bunker, and have sand which is adequately firmed to enable golfers to get a good grip if within a bunker and to prevent balls from being plugged and hidden in the sand and making shots practically unrecoverable.