A golf course is most often just called the course, but to truly understand and talk about the game like a seasoned player, it helps to know the specific names golfers use. These names describe the style of the course, who gets to play it, and even the individual parts you'll encounter on your round. This article walks you through all the essential terms, so you can feel confident whether you’re booking a tee time or discussing a shot with your friends.
While an 18-hole green space might seem straightforward, courses are categorized by their architectural style and landscape. The type of course dramatically affects how you play it, from club selection to shot strategy. Think of it like a musician learning the difference between concert halls - each has its own unique acoustics.
The original and purest form of golf. Links courses are built on "linksland" - the sandy, undulating strip of land that connects the coast to the more fertile farmland inland. This is where golf was born in Scotland.
Key Features:
How to Play It: A links course is all about the "ground game." You'll often hit lower, running shots that use the firm turf to your advantage. Imagination and creativity are essential. Don't be afraid to putt from 30 yards off the green or use a hybrid to bump-and-run the ball along the ground. Controlling your ball flight in the wind is the name of the game.
Famous Examples: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Birkdale, Bandon Dunes.
This is likely the type of course you see on TV most often and is the most common style in the United States. As the name suggests, parkland courses look like a beautifully manicured park, typically found inland.
Key Features:
How to Play It: Parkland golf is an "aerial game." The strategy is to fly the ball over hazards and land it softly on the green. Accuracy is paramount, as the trees that line the fairways serve as harsh penalties. Here, distance control with your irons is your best friend.
Famous Examples: Augusta National (home of The Masters), Baltusrol Golf Club.
A visually stunning and unique style of golf, desert courses are built in arid climates. They present a different kind of challenge, replacing traditional rough with native desert landscape.
Key Features:
How to Play It: There is almost no room for error. Desert golf demands precision more than anything else. You have to be smart about your targets and avoid being too aggressive. The goal is simple: keep the ball on the grass at all costs. Often, playing to a specific yardage and leaving yourself a full shot into the green is a better strategy than trying to hit it as far as you can.
Famous Examples: TPC Scottsdale, Wolf Creek Golf Club.
Often considered a beautiful blend of links and parkland, heathland courses are inland but feature many links-like characteristics due to their sandy soil. They are most commonly found in Great Britain.
Key Features:
How to Play It: A heathland course requires a bit of everything. You need the imagination of links golf for the ground game and the precision of parkland golf to navigate the strategic design. Avoiding the heather is top priority, as it can grab your club and often hide your ball.
Famous Examples: Sunningdale Golf Club, Walton Heath.
Beyond design, the name of a course can also refer to who is allowed to play on it. This is a practical distinction you'll need to know when looking for a place to play.
As the name implies, public courses are open to the general public. Anyone can call and book a tee time.
Access to a private course is restricted to members and their invited guests. To play here regularly, you must purchase a membership, which often involves an initiation fee and monthly dues. These courses typically offer the highest level of upkeep, amenities, and service, with less crowded playing conditions.
These are hybrid models that offer the best of both worlds.
When someone asks, "what is a golf course called?", they often also want to know what to call the specific parts of it. Here’s a quick tour of a typical golf hole, from start to finish.
This is where each hole begins. It’s a designated rectangular area where you take your first shot, or "tee off." You'll see different colored markers (tees) here, which indicate different yardages. As a rule of thumb, the forward tees (often red) are the shortest, while the back tees (often black or gold) are the longest and most difficult.
This is your target off the tee. The fairway is the short, manicured grass in the middle of the hole that offers the ideal lie for your next shot. It's the "path" that leads from the tee box toward the green.
The longer grass that borders the fairway. If you miss your target, you'll find your ball in the rough. It’s more difficult to play from because the long grass can get tangled around your clubhead and affect the quality of your shot.
This is where the hole is located and where the "short game" takes place. The green has the shortest grass on the course, allowing the ball to roll smoothly when you're putting.
Hazards are obstacles designed to make the hole more challenging. The two main types are:
The ultimate goal on every hole is a small, 4.25-inch diameter cup cut into the green, which holds the flagstick. Sinking your ball into the hole completes your play for that hole.
Finally, as you spend more time around the game, you'll hear golfers use informal language to talk about the course.
While a golf course is most simply just called "the course," knowing the difference between a parkland, links, and desert design will deepen your appreciation for the game. Understanding whether a course is public or private is practical knowledge, and learning the terms for its different parts will help you think and talk about your round with confidence.
Knowing these terms is the first step, but executing a smart strategy on any type of course is what truly lowers your scores. For the moments when you’re facing a tough shot on an unfamiliar track, from navigating blind shots on a links layout to judging a forced carry on a desert course, a tool like Caddie AI delivers on-demand strategic advice. It helps you analyze any situation - from planning a tee shot to escaping a tough lie - so you can play with more confidence, no matter what the course is called.
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