The parts of a golf course are the teeing area, the fairway, the rough, the bunkers, the penalty areas, and the putting green. A hole starts at the teeing area and ends at the cup on the putting green. The Rules of Golf group the course into five areas.
A standard golf course has 18 holes, split into a front nine and a back nine. The parts of a golf club are the equipment played on the course, and the course is the ground itself. A disc golf course and a mini golf course are separate layouts with their own parts.
Parts of a Golf Course Labeled Diagram
In a labeled diagram of a golf hole, the teeing area is at one end and the putting green is at the other. The fairway runs between them, and the rough borders the fairway on both sides. Bunkers and penalty areas lie beside the line of play, and out of bounds marks the edge of the course.
| Part | Where you find it |
|---|---|
| 1. Teeing area | Start of the hole, a rectangle two club-lengths deep |
| 2. Tee markers | Pair of markers that set the front and outer edges of the teeing area |
| 3. Fairway | Closely cut grass between the tee and the green |
| 4. Rough | Higher, coarser grass beside the fairway |
| 5. Bunker | Hollowed-out area filled with sand |
| 6. Penalty area | Water or a marked area with yellow or red stakes or lines |
| 7. Out of bounds | Ground outside the boundary, marked by white stakes or lines |
| 8. Fringe | Slightly higher grass around the green |
| 9. Putting green | Prepared surface where the hole is placed |
| 10. Hole | Cup in the green, 4ยผ inches wide |
| 11. Flagstick | Pole in the hole, also called the pin |
The Five Parts of a Golf Course Under the Rules of Golf
The Rules of Golf define five areas of the course: the general area, the teeing area, the penalty areas, the bunkers, and the putting green. Every point on the course falls in one of these areas, and the area sets which relief options a player has.
The general area covers everything except the other four areas. It includes the fairway, the rough, the collars of the green, and the teeing areas of holes that are not being played. Wrong greens are also part of the general area.
Teeing Area
The teeing area is where each hole starts. It is a rectangle two club-lengths deep. The front edge runs between the forward-most points of two tee markers, and the side edges run back from the outside points of the markers.
A club-length is the length of the longest club in the player’s bag, excluding the putter. A hole has several tee boxes at different distances. A manufactured tee holds the ball up to four inches high.
Parts of a Golf Course Between Tee and Green
The fairway and the rough are the parts of a golf course between the tee and the green. The fairway is the line of play, and the rough is the margin beside it.
Fairway
The fairway is the area between the tee box and the putting green where the grass is cut short and even. It is in the general area. The fairway and the green are the short grass parts of a golf course.
Rough
The rough is the higher, coarser grass between the fairway and the out-of-bounds markers. It is the unmowed part of a golf course beside the fairway. The rough at U.S. Open courses reaches 3 to 5 inches in height.
Bunkers and Penalty Areas
Bunkers and penalty areas are the obstacles beside the line of play. Each has its own relief options under the Rules of Golf.
Bunkers
A bunker is a specially prepared area of sand. Many bunkers are hollows where turf or soil was removed, and they are also called sand traps. They are lower than the fairway and have a raised lip. The faces and edges of a bunker, growing objects inside it, and natural sandy areas are not part of the bunker.
Penalty Areas
A penalty area is an area where a ball at rest gives the player relief with a one-stroke penalty. It includes any body of water on the course, plus other areas the committee defines. The older name is water hazard.
Yellow penalty areas are marked with yellow lines or yellow stakes. They allow stroke-and-distance relief or back-on-the-line relief. Red penalty areas are marked with red lines or red stakes, and they add lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball entered. An unmarked penalty area is treated as red.
Out of Bounds
Out of bounds is all area outside the boundary edge that the committee defines. Boundary stakes and lines are white. When stakes or a fence define the edge, the boundary runs between the course-side points of the posts at ground level, and the posts are out of bounds.
Parts of a Golf Course Putting Green and Hole
The putting green is the area of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting, where the hole is placed. Its edge is where the prepared area visibly starts, unless the committee defines it otherwise. The grass is closely trimmed.
The fringe, also called the collar, is slightly higher grass around the green. It slows a rolling ball, and it is part of the general area.
The hole is the finishing point on the putting green. It is 4ยผ inches (108 mm) in diameter and at least 4 inches (101.6 mm) deep. The flagstick placed in the hole is also called the pin.
Golf Course Parts by Hole Count and Length
Most holes are par 3, par 4, or par 5. The length of a hole from the teeing area to the putting green sets its par, on the assumption of two putts. Some courses have par-6 holes.
| Par | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | Under 260 yards | Under 220 yards |
| Par 4 | 240 to 490 yards | 200 to 420 yards |
| Par 5 | 450 to 710 yards | 370 to 600 yards |
| Par 6 | 670 yards or longer | 570 yards or longer |
An 18-hole course totals par 68 to 72, and a par-3 course totals par 54.
- โ 18-hole course: The standard layout, with a front nine of holes 1 to 9 and a back nine of holes 10 to 18.
- โ 9-hole course: A half-length layout, and many courses have only nine holes.
- โ Par-3 course: Short holes only, with a total par of 54 over 18 holes.
- โ Pitch and putt course: Holes under 100 yards, with a total length of 1,200 yards or less.
Some courses have 12 or 14 holes.
Clubhouse and Driving Range
On many courses, the routing starts and ends at the clubhouse. A driving range is a practice area with practice greens, bunkers, and driving areas. Distance markers show the length of each shot.
Golf Course Part Names
Golfers use more than one name for several parts of a golf course. The alternate names come from the Rules of Golf and course scorecards.
| Part | Also called |
|---|---|
| Teeing area | Teeing ground, tee box |
| Bunker | Sand trap |
| Penalty area | Water hazard |
| Fringe | Collar |
| Putting green | Green |
| Flagstick | Pin |
| Golf course | Course |
Golf Course Playing Surfaces
A golf course uses four surfaces. Closely cut grass covers the fairway and the green, and higher grass covers the rough and the fringe. Sand fills the bunkers, and water fills many penalty areas.
A modern 18-hole course occupies up to 150 acres, and it averages 74 acres of maintained turf. Courses of 7,000 yards were once rare, and 7,500 yards is now common.
FAQs
The parts of a golf course are the teeing area, the fairway, the rough, the bunkers, the penalty areas, the fringe, the putting green, the hole, and the flagstick. Out of bounds marks the edge of the course.
The five parts of a golf course in the Rules of Golf are the general area, the teeing area, the penalty areas, the bunkers, and the putting green. The general area covers everything else, including the fairway and the rough.
The part of a golf course between the tee and the green is the fairway. It is the area where the grass is cut short and even. The rough borders it on both sides.
The green is the putting green, the area of the hole that is specially prepared for putting. The hole is placed on it, and the flagstick marks the hole. The grass is closely trimmed.
A bunker is a specially prepared area of sand set in a hollow where turf or soil was removed. It is lower than the fairway and has a raised lip. Bunkers are also called sand traps.
The unmowed part of a golf course is the rough. It is the higher, coarser grass between the fairway and the out-of-bounds markers. U.S. Open roughs reach 3 to 5 inches in height.
A modern 18-hole golf course occupies up to 150 acres. It averages 74 acres of maintained turf. Courses of 7,500 yards are now common, and 7,000 yards was once rare.
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