A Revolution in Golf Course Architectural Style

Golf Course Architect Kari Haug is proposing a new way of designing and classifying golf course architectural design style. She is proposing a new class of design style called “Leverage Design” or “The Second Shot Advantage.” In the spirit of Alice Dye and on the shoulders of her pioneering work, Kari has been studying and working all of her architectural career to design golf courses that are more playable for women. 

Ms. Haug's past work has included a modernization of Alice Dye’s “Two-tee System for Women“ with a renewed call to action for golf courses to make earnest efforts build forward tees.  Whereas many golf courses built at least one forward tee after Mrs. Dye’s recommendations were released, Kari did research and found that more than fifty percent did not implement those recommendations according to the proposed guidelines (most were too long.) Furthermore, only approximately twenty percent of golf courses built a second tee as recommended by Mrs. Dye.  Kari’s modernized recommendations included building of more second tees and addition of a third development tee for improved choice on the teeing ground for game development, and an adjustment of the recommended course lengths for the average female golfer.  The third tee in many cases would be in the proper position to be shared with senior men golfers.

Beyond the tees, Haug's so-called "Leverage Design" affects the ground game through carefully designed landforms that are intended to help shorter hitters get “leverage” from slopes and landforms to improve playability of the golf course.  Kari believes this will provide a more equitable golf experience in terms of enjoyment of the game, not only for women, but for all shorter hitters.

Starting as a golf course architecture student in Scotland, Kari was looking at ways to improve the playing experience for women. Her work to help the shorter hitter land in a similar landing area as the longer hitter started with one element: a “speed chute.”  The speed chute was for the most part meaningless for the longer hitter since their drive would clear the chute by 100 yards or more. But for the shorter hitter, the speed chute landform could assist the ball into a position away from a severe side-slope lie or worse, from a side-slope in long rough. The first speed chute Kari designed was placed such that if a golfer hit from the forward tee and landed near the chute, the ball would be leveraged or propelled forward toward the landing area designed for the longer hitters. 

Although leverage design and moving the tees forward to give the shorter hitter a better chance of hitting the landing area on the drive will help to improve playability of the golf course for many golfers, it is only part of the equation. The reason for the incomplete equation is because it is often the second shot for shorter hitters that is the most difficult. Where the contemporary long-hitting low handicap player rarely plays the ground game between the green and 100 yards out, this is often the area with the most challenge for the short hitter who is hitting a long wood just to get to the green. The ground game for this player is extremely important and slopes matter! This is where additional "leverage design" elements like funnels, catcher's mitts, launch pads, and bumpers come into play. These elements again will often make no difference to the low handicap player who is hitting a short iron into a green.

While the concept of a ground game is not new in the design of a golf course, using many different elements with the specific intent to make the ground game play better for women, juniors, seniors, and shorter hitters in general would be revolutionary.

Copyright? 2017 by Kari Haug. All rights reserved.

Kari Haug is a graduate member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA), President/CEO of Kari Haug Planning & Design, Inc. - a golf course architecture company that specializes in sustainable golf course design and women's golf.