spread the wear of the ground from day to day, leaving other areas to recover. They need to be significantly deep to allow the tee markers to be placed more than two club lengths from the back of the tee, and they also need to be of a suitable width to allow the tee markers to be placed, allowing for a stance to be taken on flat ground outside of the markers on both sides.
Fig 3
4). Amoeba forms have also been created in some cases, arguably more organic shapes which can fit into their surroundings more naturally than a box shape, although they should maintain some reference to the direction of the hole, in order to help with alignment (see figure 5). This is a matter of preference per architect, and both styles of tee can look appealing within a golfing
landscape. Tees need to
be a Fig 4
substantial size, large
enough to accommodate the golfer and their playing partners, and they need to have enough space available for alternative teeing positions in order to
The general rule is that a teeing ground should include, cumulatively, no less than 400m² of playing surface area on par 4s and 5s, and no less than 600m² of playing surface area on par 3s. An individual teeing ground should be over 100m² under all circumstances in order to allow for all the factors stated above. Synthetic turf is often considered as an alternative to a grass tee in areas where it is less possible to successfully keep a good sward of turf. Driving ranges and pitch and putt courses for example, often use synthetic turf in order to cope with the high number of damaging golf shots played from a relatively small surface area. Synthetic turf is also used for winter tees, in order to protect the wear of a turf tee which cannot successfully re-establish in the winter months when turf tees would be largely dormant. Synthetic turfs are also becoming a
more viable option for tees which exist in poorer positions. A typical example of this would be a tee on the edge of, or within a woodland setting, where tree canopies and under-storey plants slow down the rate of exposure to light and air flow that the grass sward would require for successful growth. Flat ground is specified for a golf tee, although each tee should actually be on the slightest of slopes at around 1 in 100 in order to create an area where turf will successfully grow without becoming flooded or keeping puddles. The slope should follow the run of general ground water flow. Tees on very flat ground can often be raised to help protect against them being flooded, and also to aid the golfer’s view of the hole laid out in front of them. Where tees are placed in the side of a hill and cannot, therefore, be raised away from the general flow of water, a mound can be added on the high side of the teeing area to deflect surface water run-off around the edges of the tee.
Drainage is especially necessary when considering a site on sloping ground, where it is not possible to raise up the tee from the surrounding landscape, or place a deflecting mound on the high side of the tee. A gravel catch drain, with a perforated pipe to an outfall in the base, can be placed between the tee and the slope as an exit route for water in heavy downpours, and act as a barrier to keep the tee from excessively flooding. To improve the aesthetics in this situation, it may also be possible to cut the drain slightly further up the hill to take it out of view of the golfer.
This article has discussed all the elements that Andy Watson considers when designing a new tee, or re-designing an existing tee. In future episodes of the Anatomy of a Golf Course, Andy will look to give some insight into greens, bunkers, and everything in between.
www.andywatsongolfdesign.co.uk Figure 5
TWENTY Questions
Andy Watson - remains positive and optimistic that he can become a tidier person!
Who are you? Andy Watson, golf course designer.
Family status? Engaged.
Who’s your hero and why? Grandad and Tiger Woods, as they introduced me to the game of golf.
What is your dream holiday? Honeymoon, planning it at the moment! Quiet luxury and seafood!
What annoys you the most? An untidy desk.
What would you change about yourself? I would like to be a tidier person!
Who wouldn’t you like to be? Rupert Murdoch, right now.
Favourite record, and why? Zero 7 by Simple Things; best female vocalists and mixologists I have ever heard; flawless album.
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? My fiancee, followed by Scarlett Johansson if she was unavailable!
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Smile!
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? A trombone, it sounds funny!
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? There are no daft questions. The more a client knows about their project, the better. I try and answer all questions as honestly as possible.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? “Don’t argue with a woman son, you’ll never win” - my father when I was a child.
What’s your favourite smell? The smoke created from blowing out a candle.
What do you do in your spare time? Play golf.
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Scotty Cameron Studio Design 1.5 putter.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Happy, Positive, Optimistic.
What talent would you like to have? To play golf to scratch.
What makes you angry? Not playing golf to scratch.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? I am wary, when asked this question, as I am aware of a butterfly effect. It would be great to introduce tons of laws, but they might not be received the way I would picture it, and could possibly make a situation a whole lot worse! So I will leave law making to the people who know what they are doing!!
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