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NEW CONCEPT IN GOLF: GOLF BY THE HOUR ON A GOLF COURT
The world’s
first commercial golf court will be opened on Wednesday 23
May 2001 at Lensbury conference centre, at Teddington Lock,
by the former world number one woman golfer, Laura Davies.
A Lensbury
groundsman alerted Lesley White, general manager, to the idea
of a golf court. As a golfer, she grasped the concept immediately
and was determined that Lensbury would be home to the first
golf court in the world.
A golf
court is a new concept in golf, designed by Compac Golf Ltd,
that enables a full 18-hole round to be played on 18 acres
of land compared to the average 150-acre golf course. The
concept can also be adapted to fit smaller areas of land.
Mathematically
designed to include four greens and eight tee areas, a golf
court offers players all the challenges of a full 18-hole
course, incorporating Par 3, 4 and 5 holes on a smaller area
and can be completed in far less time. The game on a golf
court is very easy to follow, the tee and yardage markers
and flags are all colour coded. Each hole is different ---
they vary in both length and perspective. A golf court is
as safe as a golf course and each golf court will undergo
a PGA safety audit.
There
are many benefits to playing golf on a golf court. As the
game can be played by the hour, it can be enjoyed by:
Like a
tennis court, a golf court can be booked by the hour offering
the golfer the flexibility of playing six holes in one hour,
12 holes in two hours or a full 18 holes in just three hours.
The game is considerably quicker than on a conventional golf
course because the unique system of play means waiting time
is virtually eliminated.
The potential
for golf courts is enormous. Hotels, conference centres, property
developments, universities, inner city areas and leisure clubs
are just some of the areas with limited space that could feature
a golf court.
A traditional
golf course costs in the region of £2million to build, a golf
court is around £300k. It is inexpensive to maintain, requires
very little watering and, being so compact, is easy to floodlight
for night-time golf.
Bob Hunt
of PGA Golf Management, who advises on the building of golf
courses, comments: "It means having the opportunity to
play golf safely to the Royal and Ancient rules and it will
bring golf to a whole new category of players for whom golf
has not been feasible or available before."
If you
would like to hear more about golf courts, contact John Sale
or Peter Bailey on telephone 020 8449 0090.
GOLF
BY THE HOUR:
A
NEW CONCEPT IN GOLF FROM COMPAC GOLF LTD
What
is a golf court?
Golf is
normally played on a 150-acre, 18-hole course and takes around
four hours to complete. A golf court is a new concept in golf
enabling a full 18-hole round to be played on only 18 acres
of land. It is mathematically designed to incorporate one
main fairway, four greens and eight tee areas as well as the
familiar features such as bunkers, streams, trees and lakes.
It offers the player all the challenges associated with a
full 18-hole course which can be completed in just a fraction
of the time --- players have the flexibility to play six holes
in one hour, 12 in two hours or 18 in three hours.
Where
is the first golf court located?
The first
golf court is at Lensbury at Teddington Lock. Lensbury is
a sports and leisure club and conference centre with 160 bedrooms.
Unbelievably, the concept has been adapted to fit onto just
six acres of land on the banks of the Thames to give an 18
hole, par 3 golf course.
How
is this possible?
The combination
of four greens and eight tee areas provides 18 individual
holes and tees. Each hole is different and varies in both
length and perspective. Up to six holes, in one hour, can
be played in three simultaneous matches of two, three or four
players. As on a normal golf course each match follows in
succession. A golf court is as safe as a golf course and each
golf court will undergo a PGA safety audit.
What
are the benefits?
The benefits
of golf courts are numerous: areas where land is at a premium
due to limited availability, over development or difficult
terrain; areas where water is in short supply ---a golf court
only requires ten percent of the water used to irrigate a
normal course. In addition, a golf court is less expensive
to maintain and costs around £300k to design and construct,
compared to £2 million for a conventional golf course.
Who
will this concept appeal to?
Because
of their compact size, golf courts can be attached to hotels,
conference centres, business parks, universities and private
homes who may already have a swimming pool or tennis court
in their garden. They are ideal for disabled players and for
inner-city areas where land is at a premium. They can even
be flood-lit for playing night-time golf.
Who
can play on a golf court?
The flexibility
enables players to play the game to suit their own timetable.
It is ideally suited to beginners, busy parents, executives
with a hectic schedule, seniors and professional golfers.
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