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Green Golf Course and Irrigation System Design

A golf course is a beautiful thing, but for the non-golfer might be seen as nothing more than a luxurious waste of land. A golf course may also be seen as a blight on the environment for many reasons, including the strenuous work it takes to keep the grounds so immaculate. It takes almost constant tending by an expert groundskeeper to keep the greens green and the sand traps freshly groomed. Some of the older designs included timed irrigation systems that went off at the same time every evening whether it was raining or not. There are much better systems now and the right golf course designer would make use those in their design and layout.

What do I need to know to start?

Not only do you need to know design and irrigation systems to begin with, you also need to know the game of golf at every level. Depending on the course you are building, you will need to be able to calculate angles, trajectories and slopes to make the course easier, harder or somewhere in the middle. Some of the hardest courses in the world become the most sought after and people will pay nearly anything to play a round of golf there. If you are going to design a field for a sport, it is wise to at least have a working knowledge of that sport. It is the same with football, soccer, tennis, etc.

What kind of educational background should I have?

In addition to knowledge of golf, you should have a degree in design, drafting or engineering. You also need to know about how irrigation systems work as well as having ideas of how to make them work better. Because most of a golf course involves grass, having a degree in botany or horticulture is a solid idea as well.

What is my first step?

If you know a land developer, then approach him with a business proposal. Make sure you have plans in hand when you have this meeting and consider whether or not this is a person who will say no to you, hire someone cheaper for the job and build a golf course on his own. If you do not, then approach a team of investors, or apply for a business loan so that you can get your idea off the ground.

What are the risks?

Any land use venture can be risky, especially in hard economic times. Once a golf course is built, there is no guarantee that people will want to golf there so if you are maintaining ownership of it after it is completed, that might be problematic for you.

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