Your Guide to Short Game Design in Golf

How often do we golfers think about the short game design aspects of a golf course? Chances are we do not think about it very much, if at all, to be honest. Yet, the short game design of a course probably has more to do with our score than any other aspect of course design. More strokes are played, and often lost, on tricky greens, in deep bunkers, and in chipping and pitching to difficult pin positions from imperfect lies.

Overall, the complexities of a course's short game design can also be responsible for the difficulty level of the course as a whole. The general thought is that a golf course should be interesting and fair for all levels of golfers, with some holes being more difficult (to challenge the best players) and other holes offering easier play (in theory). One way to accomplish this goal is through the use of creative short game design features, such as well-placed greenside bunkers, varying the shape and slope on the green, and shaving the fringe to feed mishit shots into challenging collection areas or hazards. The difficulty of a particular golf course, measured by slope and rating, is in large part determined by the short game obstacles and design.

Of course, when you are playing your short game, greens are the target areas with the hole being the bull’s-eye of the target. For this reason, playing a short game course or practicing at a short game complex can be very useful for most players. These special golfing venues allow players to concentrate exclusively on their short game. In the past, these venues were relatively few and far between, but their popularity is gaining and they are becoming easier to find across the country. I live near Vancouver, BC and there are many “pitch and putt” courses nearby where the average hole length is less than 100 yards. Par-3 courses and “executive” courses (which feature shorter holes) also allow golfers of all abilities to hone their short games. I am also extremely lucky in that one of my local golf courses has an excellent short game complex, complete with chipping and putting areas, bunkers, and a three-hole short game course.

By paying better attention to the short game design of a course, players of all skill levels can learn to better appreciate a particular hole. This added attention can also help to lower scores when players become aware of the fact that a hole is usually laid out with a specific purpose in mind. In many cases, course designers favor a particular playing philosophy or strategy in the design of a hole. Some designers focus on target golf, placing bunkers and shaping greens to penalize errant approach shots to small greens. Other designers prefer to allow players to reach the greens more easily, but then make the greens so large that getting the ball to the hole is a challenge. Either way, the short game is emphasized.

If you need further proof that short game design is of the utmost importance in the golf game, simply examine the many short game training courses and lessons that are being offered to help golfers overcome design challenges. It is not uncommon to find some of the best known instructors, such as Dave Pelz, specializing in this one area of the game. Many top ranked professional players spend enormous amounts of time working on their skill sets so that when they face a short game design challenge they will be prepared to overcome it. You can do the same.

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