Key Points
The health of the turfgrass on tees is dependent on several key factors: the size and width of the effective teeing surface (relative to the amount of play and incidence of divots), the hours of direct sunlight and amount of air flow at the tees (as limited by surrounding vegetation), and how quickly surface water can flow off or infiltrate into the tees (as determined by the amount of water reaching the tee surface, the slope of the tee surface, the soil type, and whether or not there is subsurface drainage pipe).
The consulting agronomist should consider wear tolerance and recuperative ability when selecting a turfgrass for the tees.
The most sustainable golf course design will reduce maintenance cost by streamlining tee maintenance. The width and shape of the tees and access for maintenance equipment have an impact on the amount of time needed for maintenance and should be carefully considered.
One aspect of accessible design is to provide an engaging playing experience for all golfers. Tee location (not only distance from the green but also carry, angle, and visibility to the fairway landing area and hazards) goes a long way toward determining whether the golf course will be fun and challenging for all skill levels and from all tees.
Tees should also be designed with accessibility in mind, considering the physical limitations of golfers (e.g. limit use of stairs or steep climbs from the cart path, maintain visibility from adjacent holes, etc.).
In golf’s earliest days, the “tee” was anywhere that the golfer chose to hit his or her “tee shot”, so long as it was within one club length of the previous hole. Now tees are purpose built and often maintained to a quality similar to that of the putting surfaces. While the form of the tee has evolved since golf’s earliest days, the function has remained essentially the same – the tee is a level area from which to begin playing the next golf hole.
Built for Healthy Turf
Teeing grounds come in all shapes and sizes but there are a few universally agreed-upon design, construction, and maintenance keys to healthy tee turfgrass:
Size – The tee has to be appropriately sized based on the amount of play that it will receive, with consideration given to the type of golf club that is most likely to be used. If iron shots are the norm (e.g. on shorter par-3 holes), the tee needs to be larger to allow for divot recovery.
To ensure adequate teeing ground, a rule of thumb for sizing tees is 100-200 square feet (10-20 square meters) per 1,000 rounds per year per hole. That number is doubled on par 3’s and for starting holes (typically the 1st and 10th holes).
For golf courses in seasonal markets, a better way to estimate the appropriate size is 1 square foot (0.1 square meters) per player per hole during the busiest month.
The smallest desired tee size is 300-600 square feet (30-60 square meters) for tees that are unlikely to be used very often.
(The above bullet points are retrieved and adapted from https://golfcoursetrades.com/the-art-of-tee-box-design/)
Light and air flow – Low and high vegetation should be cleared far enough away from all maintained turfgrass to allow for adequate light and airflow. Tee boxes are no exception.
Access for Maintenance Equipment – Consideration needs to be given to how maintenance equipment will access the tees. This includes the steepness of the banks around the tees, the opportunity to turn machinery without undue repetitive compaction, and the number and ease of access and egress points.
Shape and Width - The shape and width of a tee will also impact the efficiency of its maintenance. The preferred minimum effective width of a teeing area is 15’ (4.5 meters). Triplex mowers are typically 5-7’ (1.5 – 2 meters) wide, so a tee that is 30’ (9 meters) wide can accommodate two distinct tee settings and will not require additional passes with the mower.
(Retrieved and adapted from https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/practical-tee-design--design-column-/)
Drainage – since tees are almost always flat or nearly flat (generally 1% slope maximum), the cost and benefit of including subsurface drainage has to be carefully considered. If the soil on a site is sandy and free draining, if overland runoff is properly directed away from the tee, and if rainfall intensity is typically low, then subsurface drainage may not be necessary. Heavier soils or frequent and intense rain events make the use of subsurface perforated drainage pipe a good idea to maintain healthy turfgrass. If the budget allows for it, an up to 8” (20 cm) thick rootzone can be imported as the growing medium. The consulting agronomist can help the golf course architect to specify the ideal mix and the source of materials.
See below for typical tee construction details:
Designing Sustainability and Accessibility into Tees
The tee is a unique element on the golf course in that it is the only area from which all golfers will be hitting full shots. Ideally, the golf course architect will carefully consider how to give each tee equitable “shot values” and strategic interest so that players of all abilities can enjoy the playing experience. This is simply good business because golfers who enjoy a golf course are more likely to return to that golf course - and the more the better!
The PGA of America has published guidance on the placement of tees called Setting Up Golf Courses for Success: A Critical Factor in Attracting More Women to Golf. I believe that the ideas presented are universally applicable so I’m going to quote some key points directly from this document and recommend it for further reading.
“Appropriately placed tees can accommodate golfers with slower swing speeds or shorter length of drive, including new golfers, seniors, youth, and people with disabilities…. Golfers recovering from physical, cognitive and/or mobility limitations, injuries or surgeries can re-engage with golf more quickly from tees with yardages suited to their abilities.” (PGA of America, Setting Up Golf Courses for Success: A Critical Factor in Attracting More Women to Golf, Retrieved from https://www.accessgolf.org/naag/assets/File/public/resources/SettingUpCourse_final.pdf, p.2)
“The primary course attributes to consider when creating a fair course set up for women and men of all abilities are a) the positioning of tees and b) the location of cross hazards that create forced carries.” (ibid, p.3)
“The basis of good tee positioning is rooted in the concept of design fairness. The central idea of this philosophy is that golf course operators should provide sets of tees from which golfers with a wide spectrum of driving distances and swing speeds can reach greens in regulation and putt for pars or even birdies. Done correctly, the tees should be positioned proportionally to each other, so that players who are playing the correct set of tee markers for their driving distance and swing speed may use similar clubs for their approach shots on each hole.” (ibid, p.4)
Unfortunately, on many existing golf courses, the placement of forward tees appears to have been an afterthought. The placement of any tee should give full consideration to angles, distances, visibility, and forced carries to ensure that shot values are similar for, and hole strategy can be equally enjoyed by, both long and short hitters.
Much of this discussion also ties into the design of the landing areas. Contours that kick the ball forward (speed slots) and mounding to keep the ball within the fairway and away from hazards can be designed into the short-hitter’s landing area to make the game more fun and interesting for less skilled players without impacting the challenge to more advanced golfers. In addition, contours that emphasize and enhance the ground game (rather than contours that repel shots that are hit with a lower trajectory) can help higher handicap golfers reach the green with longer irons and fairway woods. (guidance from Kari Haug - reference)
Finally, in terms of physical accessibility, the golf course architect should also strive to design tees that:
Ensure access for mobility challenged golfers by minimizing steep slopes and stairs and considering entry and exit points from cart paths.
Minimize long or steep walks from the previous green to the greatest extent possible to enable and encourage easy walking.
Keep clear sight lines from adjacent holes to ensure that players who are standing on the tees can see and be seen by other players and to better accommodate the hearing impaired (who are less likely to hear a shouted warning about an incoming wayward shot).
An example of a tee that is not very physically accessible
Contact Sustain Golf for More Information!
We would be happy to make recommendations or answer any questions that you might have about sustainable and accessible golf course design, construction, or maintenance. Visit www.SustainGolf.com or contact us at the following address for more information: Contact@SustainGolf.com.
The European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA), in partnership with the GEO Foundation, has developed a continuing professional development program for its members called Raising the Standard of Sustainable Golf Course Development, or RSSGCD. This is the industry’s only structured program in the world to specifically train golf course architects in sustainable golf course design, construction, and maintenance best practices. A Sustain Golf team member has attained Stage 3 of this rigorous program.
A Sustain Golf team member is also currently serving on the EIGCA’s Sustainability Committee and is a GEO Certified Accredited Sustainability Verifier.
We firmly believe that common sense sustainable design, construction, and maintenance practices are the keys to the long-term survival of the game of golf. We aspire to be on the leading edge of applying sustainability concepts to golf course design, construction, and maintenance.
We will spend every day for the duration of the project on-site and/or coordinating with all contractors, subcontractors and professional consultants to be sure that no opportunities are lost and that the best golf course for your property is realized.
Up Next:
Step 12 – Feature Construction Spotlight: Sand and Grass Bunkers
Sustain Golf is a collaborative group of like-minded qualified golf course architects. We are also qualified and experienced as civil engineers, vertical architects, and project managers. We have the breadth and diversity of experience and knowledge to offer a full suite of golf course design and construction services, from first concept to opening day on your new or remodeled golf course.
References:
Hurdzan, Dr. Michael J. Golf Course Architecture: Design, Construction & Restoration. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 1996.
Information on tee sizing and maintenance retrieved and adapted from https://golfcoursetrades.com/the-art-of-tee-box-design/
Information on tee sizing and maintenance retrieved and adapted from https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/practical-tee-design--design-column-/)
PGA of America, Setting Up Golf Courses for Success – A Critical Factor in Attracting More Women to Golf. Retrieved from https://www.accessgolf.org/naag/assets/File/public/resources/SettingUpCourse_final.pdf
Photo Credits:
Matthew Schiffer, Lahinch Golf Club Matthew Schiffer, Teeth of the Dog Golf Course, Casa de Campo Resort
Peer Review:
Dr. Keith Duff, former UK government wildlife agency Chief Scientist, current Golf Environment Consultant
Kari Haug, Golf Course Architect, Kari Haug Planning and Design, Inc.
Comments