The Long and Short of Practice AreasPractice facilities come in all different shapes and sizes. Somebasic design and management considerations can make practiceranges and short game areas safe, practical, and enjoyable.

by DARIN S. BEVARD

A...THE PERFECT golf shot.Nothing feels quite like it. Now

if I could only hit that perfectgolf shot again, on purpose. This is acommon refrain among many of uswho love and play the game of golf. Infact, the perfect shot is what keeps uscoming back.

Most golfers realize that in order toimprove their games and lower theirhandicaps, repetition of the golf swingin the various aspects of the game isextremely important. However, mostpeople don't have the 4 to 41/2 hoursneeded to playa round of golf or even2 hours to get in nine holes on aregular basis. This means that golfersmust find time during lunch to hit afew chips and putts or head to therange before dinner to hit the all-important bucket of balls in an effortto hone their golf skills.

Golf has become a game of practice.With more than 26 million people par-ticipating in the game of golf, practicefacilities will continue to be in demandfor the public course and private clubplayer. There are well over 16,000 golfcourses in the United States, and mosthave some type of practice area. Infact, the practice facility can be crucialin attracting customers and prospectivemembers. By combining the numberof golf courses with player demand, itis easy to see that practicing golf is bigbusiness itself!

This begs the question: What makesa good practice range and short-gamefacility? The answer is somewhat sub-jective. Let's just say it would be diffi-cult to list every factor that impactsthe quality of a good practice facility.However, there are several major fac-tors that likely define the overallquality of a practice facility.

The best practice facilities incorpo-rate a practice range that allowsplayers to work on their long game,while including a putting green andchipping area close by. Players need topractice putting, chipping, and evenhitting bunker shots. There are certainfeatures of each type of practice area

A well-marked target area on the practice range is a benefit to thegolfers using the facility. This range uses a series of colored stakesto indicate the corresponding distance off of the tee.

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With the game of golf more popular than ever, practice areas are becominga major feature of the golf course landscape (Alpine c.c., New Jersey).

(practice range and short-game areas)that add to golfers' enjoyment. Thisarticle will focus on the factors thatinfluence the quality of practice facili-ties, starting with practice ranges andmoving on to practice putting greensand short-game areas.

Practice RangesSeveral major factors should be

considered when evaluating the over-all quality of a practice range. Theyinclude the size of the tee and landingarea, tee surface (turf vs. artificialmats), quality of range targets, loca-tion, and overall presentation. Thisalso includes distance markers andteeing area definition.

Size RequirementsPerhaps the most important factor

in determining the overall quality of apractice range is its size. The size ofthe range tee has a direct impact onthe golf course superintendent's abilityto maintain high quality grass, as wellas the number of people who can usethe practice range at a given time. Thesize of the landing area and its relationto surrounding areas affects manythings, with safety being the mostimportant.

The size of a practice range isusually dictated by available space.Many older golf courses didn't con-sider the need for a practice range atthe time they were designed. Whenthey were built, golf was a different

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game. As such, these older coursesoften only have small driving ranges, ifone exists at all. As older courses arerenovated and/or restored, one areathat is often reviewed is the potentialfor expanding the existing practicerange, or building a new practice com-plex in a different area. Some oldergolf courses have even purchasedadjacent parcels of land in order toconstruct a modem practice range.For new courses, however, theemphasis currently placed on practicedictates that such facilities should bedesigned in the overall scheme of thegolf course.

So how big does a practice range,including tees, need to be? This is adifficult question to answer., Factorssuch as the number of annual roundsand public versus private membershipmust be considered. Many ranges areno larger than 5 or 6 acres, but theystill can provide a high quality practicearea. However, these small facilitiesrely on natural barriers such as trees,safety nets, golf club restrictions, andgolfer awareness to maintain safety.Intense maintenance of the turfgrass isalso needed to provide quality condi-tions under heavy traffic.

Where space is available, a rathernice range can be built on about 15acres. This may sound like a lot ofland, but it only provides a rangeapproximately 320 yards in length and150 yards in width, with room forsome two acres of teeing space. In fact,

some practice ranges are more than 20acres in size when short -game areasare included, although this is theexception and not the rule. In discus-sions with architects, 15 acres plus orminus a couple of acres seems to be agood starting point.It is hard to determine how large the

tee must be to provide adequate teeingspace for any given practice rangeunder all circumstances. Intensity oftraffic and maintenance will impactthe quality of the tee. However, alarger teeing area that provides roomfor more players to practice at anygiven time is desirable. This is espe-cially important during times of peakactivity. Additionally, the more roomavailable to distribute traffic, the betterchance the golf course superintendentwill have to maintain a quality standof grass on the tee. Within reason,practice tees should be constructed aslarge as available space and resourcespermit. We never see practice tees thatare too large!

One very good way to maximizeteeing space is to construct tees atboth ends of the range. In many in-stances, the tee closest to the club-house is used for players to warm upfor their round of golf, while the tee atthe far end of the range is used forhardcore practice and lessons. It isimportant to have adequate spacebetween the two tees to prevent ballshit at one end of the range from hittingplayers on the other end of the range.

Where available space for the practice range is limited, install netting to provide abq,rri;f(J' to, ~herest of the _~olfcourse and promote player safety.

Grass SelectionWhen planning a practice range,

anticipated tee size will have a majorimpact on grass selection for the prac-tice tees. Other factors also affect theturfgrass species that is selected fora practice tee. In many instances,attempts are made to match fairwayturf type with the base turf on thepractice tee, but this is not always thebest approach. Rather, the turfgrassspecies that performs the best andrecovers the quickest under theclimatic conditions of a given regionshould be selected as the base turf.Otherwise, maintaining high qualityturf can be next to impossible. Gen-erally, in the South, bermudagrass isthe grass of choice for practice tees,while creeping bentgrass or perennialryegrass performs well in northernclimates. Of course, in spite of the bestavailable agronomic information, turfselection may come down to thedesires of the powers-that-be to have acertain turfgrass species in place, eventhough its management may be moredifficult.

MaintenancePractice tees must be intensively

maintained if top quality surface con-ditions are the goal. Frequent rotationof the tee markers reduces concen-trated wear injury from occurring.Regular aeration, topdressing, over-seeding of divots, and generous fertili-zation are crucial. As soon as an areais taken out of use due to wear on acool-season tee, it should be heavilyoverseeded and topdressed to keepthe surface level and encourage turfrecovery. For warm-season grasses thedecision to overseed will depend onthe time of year. However, topdressingremains important. Maintaining highlevels of fertility on both warm- andcool-season grasses is necessary topromote turf recovery. An applicationof as much as 1 lb. of actual nitrogenper 1,000 sq. ft. per month from acombination of readily available andslow-release nitrogen sources is notexcessive. A regimented maintenanceschedule should be adhered to. Regu-lar maintenance also should includefrequent mowing and rotation of thehitting area to provide good turf con-ditions while preventing excessivewear in anyone place.

Reliable irrigation is also an impor-tant part of practice tee maintenance.While standard overhead sprinklerscan work well, we see more and more

pop-up mist heads being installed.These smaller heads allow the tees tobe watered when golfers are present,with less chance of splashing anyonewith water. A good irrigation system iscrucial for germinating seed and main-taining quality turf.

All-Weather TeesIn spite of having the best available

turf and adequate teeing space, it isbecoming increasingly necessary toinstall artificial teeing surfaces inorder to allow ranges to remain openunder adverse weather conditions.All-weather tees provide the oppor-

tunity for the turf to recover from wearwhile also allowing the practice rangeto be used when the grass tees are toowet, during the winter months whenturf is dormant, during outings, orwhen time is needed for renovations.It is very important to carefully

scrutinize the choices when selectingan artificial surface. Many clubs haveinstalled artificial tees only to removethem because of player dissatisfactionor maintenance problems. Often, avariety of artificial teeing surfaces canbe found at local clubs. Questions re-garding maintenance of artificial tees(yes, some artificial tees require vary-ing amounts of maintenance to betheir best) should be asked. Artificialtees often represent a large capitalinvestment. Many different surfacescan and should be tested prior tomaking a commitment.

Landing AreasMany different design options exist

for practice range landing areas. Someplayers desire to have a fancy landingarea where target greens are accented

with bunkers, actual fairway condi-tions are imitated, and the feeling ofplaying a regular golf hole are pre-sented to the player. All of these fea-tures offer the chance for a spectacularappearance for a practice range. Butare they really necessary? Probablynot. A less expensive, less elaborateapproach can be taken. So what isnecessary?

First, landing areas should be con-toured so players can see their ballsland for all clubs that will be used.This is a very important consideration;the only way that distance and ballflight can be accurately gauged is to

see the ball land. Accurate and visiblemarkers in the landing area need to becorrelated with specific spots on thepractice tee to provide yardage.Finally, target greens provide a nicetouch to the landing area. They set offthe target for the player and makepractice seem more realistic. Some-thing as simple as a pushed-up moundof soil with good turf cover and a flag-stick can be used, up to a moreelaborate setup such as the one men-tioned above, with bunkers and on-course conditions. The bottom line isthat the player needs to be able to seewhere the ball goes and accuratelydetermine how far the ball traveled tomaximize the benefits of practice.

MaintenanceThe degree of maintenance for prac-

tice range landing areas varies widely.Oftentimes, resources are better usedon the actual golf course, not thepractice range. However, the landingarea should be mowed at least tWiceweekly. An irrigation system improvesthe appearance of the range and is

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Many golfers consider artificial teeing areas sacrilegious, but a properly installed all-weather surface can provide a rest for the natural grass tee. The use of improperlyinstalled or poorly performing artificial tees may be short-lived if players becomedissatisfied.

Sand accumulation from repeated bunker practice can make maintenance difficultaround the bunker and on the adjacent green. If a separate green is not provided forbunker practice, the sand accumulation can negatively impact putting green conditions.The appearance of the area can also be an eyesore, especially if it is close to theclubhouse area.

with full sunlight and adequate fertilitymay perform well. Putting greens areoften located in the shadow of theclubhouse or among trees. In thesesituations, a larger green is needed toprovide a better opportunity for suc-cessful management. Larger size cancompensate for a poor location.

Even under low traffic stress, aminimum of 10,000 sq. ft. should beprovided to allow the grass to healbetween hole rotations in and out ofan area. Under high traffic conditions,the practice green should be con-structed as large as available spaceand resources allow to ensure topquality conditions. Practice bunkersshould not be located adjacent to themain practice putting green. This canlead to maintenance problems fromrepeated blasting of sand onto theputting green. Greenside bunker prac-tice should be included in the chip-ping/pitching practice area, ratherthan at the putting green.

When planning a practice green, itis best to limit severe contours, espe-cially if use will be heavy. Steep con-tours eliminate usable areas that areneeded for hole locations and distribu-tion of wear. The grassing schemeshould be similar to that of the othergreens on the golf course, if possible.This helps to promote consistency forthe player.

MaintenanceNormally, maintenance of practice

putting greens should be similar tothat of the greens on the golf course.

first place! Errant shots should beexpected.

Practice Putting GreenThe amount of space needed to

maintain a high quality practice greenvaries, depending upon traffic levels,growing environment, and manage-ment strategies. For example, a smallgreen with heavy traffic, located in anarea of poor air movement and shade,and maintained under low fertility willmost certainly fail. However, thatsame green located in an open area

becoming a standard feature acrossthe country. Obviously, more elaboratelanding areas require more intensivemaintenance practices.

Short-Game Areas andPractice Putting Greens

For short -game practice, two dis-tinct components of the game areinvolved. Putting and pitch/chip shots,including bunker play, make up themajority of short-game practice.Ideally, a separate area should exist foreach type of practice. Using the samepractice green for putting and short-game practice, beyond very shortgreenside pitch shots, can lead tosafety and turf maintenance problems.Again, the all-important issue of size isa major factor in the quality that canbe achieved for short -game practiceareas. Working with a golf coursearchitect who is experienced in thedesign of short-game areas is a wiseinvestment.

For practice putting greens, largersize allows more room to spread trafficand distribute hole locations to pre-vent turf thinning and wear patterndevelopment. For chipping and pitch-ing areas, adequate size is needed toallow multiple players to practice withminimal concern about safety. Whenplayers are close together, there is agreater chance that someone is goingto get hit with a bladed or shankedchip or pitch shot. After all, the pen-chant for hitting poor shots is whythe practice area is being used in the

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This helps to ensure consistency be-tween the practice green and theregular greens. Regular aeration andtopdressing are very important tomaintain good turf quality. However, itmay be necessary to increase fertilityon practice greens above the levelused on the regular golf course greens.The levels of traffic that practicegreens receive dictate that more fer-tilizer may be necessary to promoterecovery from wear. Hole locations onpractice greens should be moved fre-quently to prevent wear areas fromdeveloping. Frequency of rotation willdepend upon the amount of trafficreceived from day to day. However,the holes should be changed at leastfrequently enough so that a clean holewith proper dimensions is maintainedfor practice. For heavily used greens,the use of target stakes, rather thanactual holes, is becoming more com-mon. These target stakes can bemoved very easily, making frequentrotation more practical.

Short-Game AreaDesigning and building a short-

game area can be tricky. While prac-ticing, players will be in close prox-imity to one another, and often closeto other areas of the golf course. Safetyefforts must be ensured in these areas.Again, the best safety feature is ade-quate space and a thoughtful design.

Short-game areas vary from a smallfairway approach with a target green,to more elaborate fairway areas of upto 100 yards in length. Ideally, fairwayapproach areas will be available from

several different directions to provideroom for a number of players to prac-tice at one time. What's right for agiven facility will depend on availablespace as well as available capital forconstruction and maintenance. Usually,the green associated with a short-game area is maintained similarly tothe practice putting green. However,maintenance does not need to be asintense for surface conditions. Thisgreen should be used primarily forchip and pitch shots from longer dis-tances, not for practice putting. None-theless, this green should be well con-structed and properly maintained.

In addition to a fairway approacharea, bunkers should be installed toprovide an area for short- to medium-range bunker practice.

Integrating the Practice Areawith the Golf Course

The overall integration of the entirepractice complex with the rest of thegolf course is very important. Thestarter will have an easier time ofrounding up players if the practiceareas are close to the golf course.Ideally, the practice tee and the prac-tice putting green should be as close aspossible to the first tee, but not in sucha place that they cause a distraction toplayers teeing off. Having a clock atthe practice complex is also a nicetouch. This way, players can conveni-ently practice as their scheduled start-ing time approaches. Everyone likes toget in that last bit of practice prior toteeing up.

The short-game practice area fre-quently is isolated from other areas forsafety reasons. A bladed sand wedgeor thin pitch shot could pose a safetythreat if any people are nearby. Safetyshould always be a considerationwhen designing practice areas.

For all areas of a practice facility, itis important to define what can andcan't be done in the interest of safety.For example, if the range is only 75yards wide and 200 yards long andruns parallel to a fairway or publicroad, it probably would be best to limitclub selection to irons. This will re-duce the chance for injuries.It is difficult to cover all aspects

of practice facility development andmanagement that will be encounteredin all situations, but the major issuesare fairly consistent from golf courseto golf course. Although the number ofactual golfers has not grown signifi-cantly in the last 10years, the desire topractice has grown. Golfers practicefrequently in order to maintain andimprove their overall skills. Keeping inmind the need for adequate size andsafety should lead to a high qualitypractice facility that is properly inte-grated with the rest of the golf course,providing an excellent opportunity forpractice.

DARIN S. BEVARD has been an agrono-mist in the Mid-Atlantic Region for fouryears, visiting courses in Delaware, Mary-land, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and WestVirginia.

A large practice tee provides ample space for many players to practiceat once prior to teeing off at the 1999 USGA Girls' Junior Amateur.

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