05/25/1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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what is fair dominated their thoughts in these items. Wide fair- ways offer a larger margin for error than narrow ones. However, a wide fairway can be difficult because of mounds, trees, and water. A level stance makes a course difficult but fair. An uneven stance increases dif- ficulty, and fairness, in the golfer's mind, may be decreased. Male and female golfers differed markedly in their opinions on a number of characteristics, however. Male golfers preferred the more dif- ficult characteristics of having "water hazards near the green." Female golfers indicated no prefer- ence between the characteristics of "greens with water hazards nearby" to "greens with no water hazards." Male golfers, when approaching a green, are often hitting a short iron into it; female golfers, in contrast, frequently must hit a long iron or fairway wood. Accuracy is more easily produced with the short irons and this may account for the male preference. Male golfers preferred "playing from the tees set farthest back" while the female golfers preferred "playing from the tees set more for- ward." Among the respondents, this particular item had the largest amount of varying opinion. Further research evidence may indicate that length of a hole is a characteristic of difficulty not yet resolved. It may determine that the women's tee boxes- should be adjusted even farther away from the men's tee boxes than is currently being done. In essence, making the course shorter offers the golfers playing from those tees a better opportunity to shoot lower scores. "Fairways with a strategically placed tree" were preferred over "open fairways" by male golfers. Evidence suggested that female gol- fers couldn't decide about this item. In speculating about this, male gol- fers may feel that having a tree as a 40/MAY 1989/P&R "Golf course designers, recreation directors ... should be aware of play characteristics that golfers prefer and should provide Mem. " hazard is not much of a problem because they can hit the ball over or around it without much difficulty. "Deep sand bunkers about the greens" were preferred by the male golfers. The female golfers were un- decided about "deep or shallow sand bunkers near the green." Per- haps this difference results from male golfers' perceptions that they can escape deep bunkers with little difficulty. Conversely, female gol- fers may lack confidence in their abilities to play from either deep or shallow bunkers, and they feel no difference. Male golfers couldn't decide about preferences for either "easily avoidable water hazards or the presence of water hazards close to the target areas." Female golfers demonstrated a preference for "easily avoidable water hazards." This was a surprising finding among the male golfers, who, in the other items preferred the difficult characteristic. However, with this item, some of the male golfers may have thought of striking a long iron or fairway wood, a more difficult shot than with a short iron, at a tar- get having water nearby. So fairways should contain as many trees along them as possible. In the fairways, mounds should have level areas between them. In a new course, consider elevated greens as well as fairways with dog- leg configurations. Carefully plan water hazards and allow golfers to play either near or over them, or to avoid them altogether. Use trees carefully as obstacles and eliminate sand bunkers along the fairwav, or limit them to locations that prevent the golfer's ball from rolling into severely penal rough. Place shallow sand bunkers about the greens with a few greens flanked by deep sand bunkers, and use wide fairways (55 yards wide). If you doubt whether the play should be difficult or easy, lean toward difficult. Golf instructors can use the in- formation from this study to en- hance their teaching. By under- standing which aspects of the golf course cause the most concern and are most preferred by their stu- dents, they can instruct accordingly. They can teach golfers hoar to fade or draw the ball around a tree, how to successfully hit out, of bunkers, and how to hit the ball from an un- even stance. This study might also be used by golf course architects. They would be able, with more assurance, to de- sign characteristics and difficulty that are actually preferred by the particular golfers who are playing the course instead of merely mak- ing assumptions about their prefer- ences. So listen to what the golfers have to say, and plan accordingly! ❑