Golf Greens: History, Design, and Construction | Wiley

Overview

Golf Greens is a hands-on resource that guides readers through the history, design, and construction of all kinds of greens. Rich imagery accompanies practical insights for real world applications on driving ranges, practice greens, and finished putting surfaces.

The book features a sixteen-page, full-color section that showcases old greens beside modern revisions, greens under construction, and newly finished surfaces. This visual journey helps readers appreciate how form meets function as the surface evolves from concept to completion.

What you will learn

• Guidance on selecting turfgrass and evaluating artificial turf options for different climates and maintenance regimes
• Site-specific construction methods and considerations to align with soil, drainage, and topography
• Design principles that influence playability, speed, and firmness across varying course conditions

Practical benefits for designers and managers

• Illustrative examples you can reference when planning greens projects or renovations
• Checklists and guidelines that help translate design ideas into build-ready plans
• Contextual insights into how design choices affect play experience, maintenance, and budget considerations

In addition to traditional turf selections, the book covers artificial turf details, enabling readers to compare performance characteristics and long-term upkeep. By presenting both historical and contemporary perspectives, Golf Greens supports informed decision-making for courses aiming to balance aesthetics, playability, and durability.

Whether you are sketching a new greens layout or evaluating improvements to an existing green, this resource invites you to imagine possibilities such as faster or slower surfaces, nuanced contours, and sustainable maintenance approaches, without promising guaranteed outcomes. The emphasis remains on informed exploration and practical planning rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.