The value of practice facilities has never been more apparent to golf course owners and operators. Tim Liddy, ASGCA, discussed the importance of a well-designed range and putting area with Golf Course Industry magazine.
The article includes:
Adding short-game practice areas represents an industry trend, especially among private clubs, according to golf course architect Tim Liddy.
Proper dialogue can help a club during all phases of construction. Before construction, Liddy consults with the teaching pro. Practice areas, after all, are his or her office, and the pro understands the needs of a membership. Those needs are often shaped by the quality of short games members see on television. “I think what everyone sees is how good the top players are on Tour and the short game separates them from others,” Liddy says.
If the budget permits, Liddy recommends constructing practice greens to USGA specifications and maintaining them with the same tactics on the course. Liddy adds it’s important for the superintendent and crew to understand the role mowing lines play in a practice area.
“Visually, if I am doing these pitching greens, you want them to look like they are going right to left or left to right,” he says. “The grassing lines really support that. They are turning one way or another. The superintendent has to understand that.”
The complete article can be found here.