Golf Course FAQ

You have questions about golf courses, and on this page we have answers to some of the most common questions. View the questions below and click on a title to read the answer. If your question is not addressed below, try posting it in the Golf Forum (or scroll to the bottom of the list to find out how to suggest a new entry). On to the Golf Course FAQs ...

Playing the Course

• Do golf courses have dress codes?
• Do courses require players to wear golf shoes?
• How do I know which set of tees to use?
• Are yardages listed to the front, center or back of the green?
• Pin sheets: What are they, how do I use them?
• What do different colors of stakes/lines (hazard markers) on a golf course mean?
• What are the odds of making a hole-in-one?
• What are the odds of making a double eagle?

Golf Course Care

• Where can I drive a golf cart on the course?
• Should rakes be left inside or outside bunkers?
• Is there a right way to rake a sand bunker?
• What is the method for repairing a divot in the fairway?
• What is the right way to fix ballmarks (pitch marks) on the green?

Course Design

• What are the different areas of a course? What "parts" make up a golf course?
• Are there guidelines for how long holes should be for a given par rating?
• What is a links course?
• What is a redan hole?
• What are the different ways of categorizing courses? (public vs. private, parkland vs. links, etc.)

For more about specific types of golf holes or the meanings of golf course-related terminology, see the Golf Course Terms section of our golf glossary.

Historical Questions

• Why is 18 holes the standard for golf courses?
• Why is the hole on the putting green the size that it is?
• What - and where - is Hogan's Alley?
• What is "Hogan's Walkway"?
• What is Rae's Creek, the Nelson Bridge, the Eisenhower Cabin, etc., at Augusta National? (see The Masters FAQ for more about Augusta National Golf Club)

Handicaps

• What is a "course handicap"?
• What is a USGA course rating?
• What is "Slope Rating" at golf courses?

Rules and Courses
For FAQs involving rules situations, see our Golf Rules FAQ, or consult the Golf Rules at a Glance or the full Rules of Golf.

Course-Related Etiquette and Protocols

• Do golfers playing as singles have any standing on the course?
• When is it OK to request that the flagstick be tended for me?
• What's the proper procedure for tending the flagstick?
• Where can I drive the golf cart on a course?
• Are tee times required to play golf?
• How do I get a tee time?
• If I show up at a course without a tee time, will I get to play?
• What happens if I'm late and miss my tee time?

Miscellaneous

• How tall is the flagstick?
• Why are hole liners white?

If you'd like to suggest a new entry for the Golf Course FAQ, drop us a line.