What Defines a Golf Course?

What makes a golf course different than a grassy knoll? Since golf courses began in the 15th century, some aspects have dramatically changed, while others are very much the same. However, golf players today probably would not recognize the 15th century version in Scotland.

At first, golf courses started in open fields that grew naturally in the rural regions, far enough from the towns to leave the noises behind. Here are some of the more interesting ideas that went into making a golf course.

1. First golf courses

At first, the golfer's most popular place to play was on a flat, open terrain, where horses tread and humans walked and kept the long grass and plants from growing. Large herding animals like sheep, cows and horses flattened the tall grasses and vegetation, leaving a smoother surface. Trails left by humans on foot or riding a house also contributed to making a flat area.

Early golf courses used rabbit holes for their goals, maybe because of their naturally round shape, shallow depth and sharp edges.

2. Why are there sand bunkers and traps?

A lot of the original sand traps and bunkers are still maintained and used in today's golf courses. These ancient sand traps and bunkers are only improved by adding more sand and having the area around them landscaped. These sandy areas provide golfers with an obstacle that has always been part of the game.

Since the golf courses were close to the sea, sandy soil was common at first. Naturally, the land areas shaped the lower areas and low ground, and that created the custom of playing golf with traps and sand bunkers.

3. Why are there 18 holes on a golf course?

To fully understand how 18 holes were finally chosen, you could read entire volumes of books on the subject. However, the simple answer is, the first golf courses in Scotland all had different numbers of holes, causing a lot of inconsistency.

All over Scotland, and even further, golf courses had 10 holes, while others had 14 or 22, depending on how much smooth land was available. In all likelihood, a famous Scottish golf course may have been the first to decree that 18 holes was the standard for all the others, and those yet to come.

Over hundreds of years, golf courses have changed a lot from flattened fields with varying numbers of rabbit hole type holes. However, the zeal and admiration for the game of golf is still the same all over the world.

Tom Straub is a successful author and webmaster of the Best Golf Tips website featuring hundreds of golf tips on clubs, training, and much more.