No Fairway Hazards?

By: Jeffrey D. Brauer

I've been asked if fairways really require any hazards at all. The plain answer is, in many cases, no they don't. Of course, par-3 holes rarely require fairway bunkers, but there are other examples as well.

Many high-play public courses have more holes without fairway bunkers than holes with them. If the goal is to speed up play for poor golfers, fairway bunkers can be counterproductive.

However, even on courses that want to feature challenge and strategy, it is not necessary that every long hole have a fairway hazard. Some candidates include:

• Opening Holes - We generally want these holes easier, and it's nice if golfers can get off with a good opening tee shot. The more room the better, and we sometimes have no fairway hazards on Nos. 1 and 10. However, if the opening hole(s) are in view of the clubhouse, we usually add sand bunkers for the views they provide.

• Long Holes - Under the design theory of "proportional difficulty," long holes are inherently harder than shorter ones, and may need fewer - or no - hazards. On a long par-4 or -5, golfers feel as if they are "entitled" to swing for maximum length, and no hazards may be appreciated.

• On holes with tougher approach shots or putting - While there is nothing wrong with an occasional extremely hard hole, most holes should be of moderate challenge. Thus holes featuring difficult putting or approach shots don't also need tough tee shots. Most believe that such greens should be paired with a slightly easier tee shots for balance, just as executing a difficult tee shot ought to be generally rewarded with easier subsequent shots.

• The "delayed-penalty" tee shot - It is possible to create strategy without fairway hazards, by virtue of green design. Seemingly, even with little strategy required, a tee shot to the "wrong area" of the fairway can be more severely punished at the green, either by hazards, green angle or contours favoring an approach from one side only, if the golfer knows the course.

• On holes where the greenside hazards are severe enough to dictate strategy - Some tee shots, with little strategy seemingly required, sometimes have a delayed penalty by virtue of design of the green. These holes work well early in the round or on holes with difficult approach shots.

• On Tree- or Rough-Lined Holes - On open courses with fewer tree-lined holes, the presence of trees or even just rough on both sides - while perhaps technically not considered a hazard - often eliminates the need for additional sand and water hazards. If a fairly wide corridor (over 60 yards), it would be a fairly easy tee shot, while if under 60 yards the tee shot would be considered penal.

Jeffrey D. Brauer began his career as an apprentice in the Chicago area in 1977. His first project was Kemper Lakes, which shortly after hosted the 1989 PGA Championship. He formed GolfScapes in Arlington, Texas, in 1984. In the last 29 years he has designed and consulted on a wide spectrum of projects, ranging from partial renovations to international resorts. His recent work includes teaming with the design team of Pascuzzo and Pate on a remodel of the world-famous La Costa Resort & Spa in California, and renovations at Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen, Minn., and Mesquite Municipal Golf Course in Mesquite, Texas.

He has been a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects since 1981, serving as President during its 50th Anniversary year in 1995-96. Jeff still studies the classic works - both old and new, and has played more than 75 of the best courses in the world.

Jeff gives many presentations and is a regular architecture columnist for many publications and websites, including Golf Course Industry and Cybergolf.com. He has also been a strong advocate for the "Tee it Forward" campaign and strives to make his courses fit the description of "fun to play every day."

Jeff's work has been spotlighted in most of the world's major golf magazines. Golf World ranked him as one of the top-20 golf course architects and Golf Inc. ranked him as the world's fourth-best value in golf architecture in 2010. Jeff's portfolio and reputation keep him at the forefront of desired designers for new courses, reconstruction and renovation projects. For more about Jeff, visit http://www.jeffreydbrauer.com/sites/courses/layout.asp?id=859&page=48451.

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