History

Adventure golf was created due to the increasing demands of golf courses that do not occupy a significant land area but still able to provide all the amenities expected of the more conventional golf courses. Adventure golfing became popular before World War 1 in 1910 and the early 1920’s. Originally it was termed as “Garden Golf” due to the usual scenery characteristic of a golf landscape.

Contributors

Thomas McCulloch Fairbairn was the first to completely initiate change in the way adventure golf courses were designed and played. He contributed a lot in the advancement of adventure golf landscape by replacing the usual objects of conventional golf courses, to artificial greens and physical hazards. Tree landscaping, cottonseed hulls, a mixture of color dyes and the creation of artificial bunkers, curves and rolls and water hazards have successfully replicated the more traditional golf sport into a geographically manageable level.

In 1930, Joe Taylor and Bob Taylor added new features to the adventure golf course. They put more obstacles like wells, castles, windmills, some physical deterrents to make adventure golfing a more fun game to play.

In 1955, Al Lomma and Ralph Lomma introduced a more robust feature and broke away from the more conventional straight putting.

Current Development

Adventure golf is being appreciated by more and more people. Statistics show that more than 45% among the players of this popular game are families or group of friends.

Some best adventure golf courses in all over the world are

1) Disney’s Winter Summerland, Orlando, Florida

2) Par-king Skill Golf- Lincolnshire, IL

3) Pirate Island Golf- Avalon, New Jersey

4) Putting Edge Fun Center- Pittsburgh, PA

5) Dottie’s Salt Lake City, Utah

6) Mountasia- Hoston, Texas

7) Jolly Roger Amusement Parks- Ocean City, Maryland

There are hundreds of adventure golf courses around the country, each claiming to have the best features, greens and opportunities for adventures. Adventure golf courses are great for all members of the family, ranging from the youngest golfer to the seasoned golfers.

CAD software is used to assist golf course design. Computer aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design documentation. Golf course designers utilize CAD systems and engineering software to digitally construct a model Golf Course onto the existing terrain prior to construction.

Computer Aided Drafting

Computer aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design documentation. CAD systems and software has developed rapidly since 1957. It was developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory. CAD software is usually used by engineers, architects and designers for drawing and design applications. Before the age of computers, drawing and blueprints were drafted by hand. CAD is more efficient because the software records lines as vectors based on mathematical equations. The use of CAD and its features has greatly increased the end user’s productivity.

The benefits of CAD to the client are:

1) Digital representation of Architects Vision

2) Accurate construction documentation

3) Design Accountability

4) Manages earthworks and works areas

5) Identifies areas of cut and fill earthworks

6) 3D imagery and real time visuals

7) Accurate material qualities

8 ) GPS and ATS compatible

9) Controlled practices

Use of GPS technology in designing a golf course

Global positioning system is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 to 32 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. department of Defense. Golf course designers upload digital terrain surfaces into computer equipment that control the hydraulics of earthmoving machinery. This allows the Golf Course Design to be produced automatically. At any given time the client can quantify materials and analyze budgets. GPS technology has taken golf course design and construction to a level which offers significant financial benefits to Golf Course Developers. GPS technology is very efficient to construct and control golf course project.

Advantage of GPS Technology

1. Improve time efficiencies

2. Reduce supervision and labor costs

3. Detailed and accurate quantities

4. Significantly reduces variations

5. Control machine operations

6. Significantly cost benefits

Above mentioned are CAD and GPS software’s to assist golf course design. Software technology offers each client strict control over the construction costs and time management without sacrifice to quality.

Some best golf courses designed by Gaunt are:

1) Silkstone Golf Club, UK: - This course was established in 1893 at Barnsley South Yorkshire and was improved and rebuilt in 2008 by Jonathan Gaunt. The project was to construct 7 new holes on dramatic undulated farmland adjacent to the existing 18-hole course. This course is one of the most challenging golf course in Yorkshire.

2) Hennerton Golf Club, UK: - The 9-hole golf course at Hennerton was built in 1992 and was expanded to 18-holes in 2006. The new part of the course was designed by Jonathan Gaunt golf architect. Hennerton is a unique beautiful parkland course that offers outstanding views of Thames Valley, Berkshire Downs and Chilterns. One can enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of Hennerton golf course. The entire course has been fitted with a computer controlled automatic watering system to ensure that play is possible on the maximum number of days each year. Overall the course is challenging.

3) Chiddinfold Golf Club, UK: - This 18-hole course was designed and built by Jonathan Gaunt in 1992 and was opened for play in 1994. This course has proven to be very popular for golfers of all levels. It offers an outstanding natural beauty views. During designing Gaunt faced many problems like running sand, heavy clay and limited topsoil etc but ultimately the result is an stunning course which has been referred to as a “masterpiece of compact design”.

4) Branston Golf & Country Club, UK: - This course was designed by Jonathan Gaunt in 1999, and opened for play in May 2001. Branston was extended from 18 to 27-holes. The project was extremely difficult; however with clever design and remodeling techniques and an imaginative shaper, a dramatic result was achieved. Branston has developed an excellent reputation in the region for providing a full range of golf facilities with an excellent hospitality and bar and restaurant service.

5) Oakland Park Golf Club, UK: - The 18-hole, par 67 course was designed by Jonathan Gaunt in 1993 on the edge of an area of outstanding natural beauty. This course was built on a land which had previously been farmed as cattle pasture and orchards. The course provides an excellent and enjoyable golfing experience to all golfers.

Above mentioned are some best golf courses designed by Jonathan Gaunt. Gaunt has designed and delivered more than 30 outstanding golf courses throughout Europe, Africa, North America and Latin America since 1987.

Kyle Phillips is the president of this company which has contributed to more than 25 years of world class golf course design in 5 continents. Company has earned a reputation for developing creative design solutions to a variety of environmental and planning issues in more than 30 countries. Kyle has been influenced in his designs by the land forms and strategic quality of the great links and health land courses. These courses now define the standard for the best in golf course architecture.

Design Policy of Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design

Company design policy is based on the belief that golf courses should have their own character and personality. They should be derived from the site’s natural features and its location. Kyle Phillips golf course design has created natural appearing land forms for traditional golf experiences in those places where natural golf features are not available.

Award winning design ideas of Kyle Phillips Golf Course Company

Kyle Phillips has been awarded a number of high profile designs. Kings barns Golf Links near St Andrews, Scotland was opened in 2000 and by 2001 had launched into the top 50 courses in the world ranking by golf magazine. It also got name in Golf Digest’s best new International Course listing and as host of the Dunhill Links Championship since 2001.

The Grove, a prestigious 5 star hotel, spa and golf course near London is also one of the famous designs by Phillips. The Grove hosted the top 50 players in the world for the 2006 American Express World Golf Championship.

Phillips created exclusive Dundonald-Loch Lomond Golf Club, a private club of Scotland, in a traditional link style.

Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design has also done the remodeling work of many high profile and significant courses such as design work at the Robert Treat Jones Golf Club, Virginia during the preparation for the 2000 and 2005 President’s cup competition. The California Golf Club of San Francisco was completely remodeled by Phillips in 2006. In remodeling this club, a combination of redesign and detailed historic restoration of the original Vernon Macon and Alister Mackenzie architecture was also created resulting a startling transformation. This transformation earned the club a spot on Golf Week’s list of top 100 classic courses, within the first year of reopening.

In recent years, Phillips remodeled many courses in Europe such as Valderamma in Spain and Morfortaine, near Paris. In Holland, company has recently completed phase-1 of a Kyle Phillips master plan in Hilversum club and this club was awarded the Dutch Open Championship for 2010.

In 2010, several new Kyle Phillips designs have been opened such as the Lake Course at the PGA of Sweden National Golf Resort, 45 holes at the Verdure Golf and spa resort in Sicily, The Alma den golf resort in Marrakech, Morocco and yes Links in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design Company provides world class services and has earned a reputation for developing creative design solutions to a variety of environmental and planning issues

Survey and Location: A mini golf course requires enough space for the course itself, a pro shop stand, picnic area for group parties and parking. The park should be located in a safe area and close to other tourist attractions. You should be careful while taking measurements of the available space for your course because accurate measurements are necessary in designing your mini golf course.

Local rules and laws: Most communities control signage, parking and landscape of parking lots. Therefore you should check with local laws keeping in mind any lighting and noise ordinances in effect especially at night.

Hole layouts: Most mini golf courses features 18, 27 or 36 holes. A 27 hole course is a combination of an 18 hole course and a separate nine hole course. A nine hole course is generally used for guests who do not have time to play 18 holes. Holes should have to be designed to allow casual players a reasonable chance of success of hitting the cup within the par allowance. Hazards and obstacles should not be very difficult because otherwise they will cause frustration especially among new comers and children. You should also try to balance the difficulty of the holes. Putting more difficult holes together may lead to holes which produce bad scores and this will result into lowering the fun and value of your mini golf course.

Selection of design and material: You should select construction materials and designs which are low maintenance. The artificial turf playing surfaces should be of a very high quality so that they may withstand the elements for several years. You should also reinforce the concrete edgings around the holes and avoid landscaping materials which requires a lot of grooming. You should focus on the theme also while selecting a design some themes may appeal to children while they might not appeal to adults also. You can select a combination of themes that will amuse children and please adults also. It has been experienced that beautiful landscaping usually appeals to all ages.

Other Facilities: While designing mini golf course, you should keep in mind for providing benches at every hole for senior guests to sit down. Then they can wait to play in a relaxed mood. Accommodations should also be made for wheel chairs. Food and beverages services at mini golf course should also be included. Private-picnic areas for group events should also be created at the time of finalizing design for mini golf so that birthday parties and other get together functions may be organized on site.

Once the design of mini golf course is complete, find out and resolve any problems in construction or design. You should invite outside parties to test the course and design. They will give you unbiased feedback and accordingly you can make necessary modifications.

Above mentioned are some that needs to remember while designing your mini golf course.

Five of the best golf courses designed by Kyle Phillips are:

1) Penha Longa, Near Lisbon, Portugal: - Penha Longa golf course ranked in the top 30 courses in Continental Europe. This course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II, but Kyle Phillips was responsible for the layout of the course because at that time Kyle Phillips was working with the Robert Trent in the early 1990s, when Penha Longa golf course was built. Penha Longa is surrounded by spectacular hills and lush gardens.  In 1994 and 1995 it was the location for the Portuguese Open Championship. Penha Longa has 2 golf courses one is Penha Longa Atlantic Golf Course and the other one is Penha Longa Monastery Golf Course. The Atlantic Course is an 18-hole, par 72, championship course that offers breathtaking views of the Sintra hills to the North and ocean to the south. And the Monastery Course is a 9-hole, par 35 Course that is spread around the historical heart of the resort and is the perfect complement to the Atlantic Course.

2) Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, UAE: - Yas Links Abu Dhabi golf course has been tabbed “Best Golf Course in the middle East” by Golf Course Architecture magazine and also rated among the “Top 10 New International Golf Courses” by Golf Magazine. This course was designed by the Kyle Phillips in the year 2010. It is remarkable how Kyle Phillips has created a genuine, traditional links course out of nothing. Where there was once flat desert wasteland, now there are rolling wide fairways, deep bunkers, sloppy greens etc. Kyle is proud of his creation and claims that the Yas Links Abu Dhabi is a true links course that attracts a great many golfers who may never have played coastal golf before and many others who yearn to get back on the links again.

3) Al Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco: - It is an 18-hole, 6249 meters, and par 72 golf course designed by Kyle Phillips in 2010. Al Maaden is a golf course that is designed with variety and uniqueness. One finds a vast variety of Moroccan trees: lemon, almond, olive, cypress, date palms, carobs, orange, pistachio and some figs. Distinctive feature of the Al Maaden is its mirrored lakes in which the rays of the sun and the beauty of the Moroccan gardens reflected. The golf course is of a varied design with hilly fairways dressed in 104 sand traps strategically placed presenting a strategic challenge for the professional players.

4) The Grove, Hertfordshire, UK: - The Grove is one of England’s finest luxury golf courses designed by Kyle Phillips, who combines modern game strategies with the great traditions of British golf course architecture. The course has been carefully designed to provide a true challenge to golfers of all abilities. This course has been listed in Top 120 courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

5) PGA of Sweden National, Bara, near Malmo, Sweden: - PGA National’s golf courses were designed by Kyle Phillips in 2009. Golf courses of PGA National’s are Lakes course and the other one is Links course. On lakes course the player faces typical bent grasses, small greens, more water hazards and large bunkers. This course has been built with the most modern methods. Lakes Course is a terrific test of golf and examines the best of quality players. The Links Course is a classic 18-hole Championship Course. This course has the typical characteristics of links golf with large undulating greens and numerous small deep bunkers.

Above mentioned are best five golf courses designed by Kyle Phillips.

Here are some tips to slow down golf swing on the golf course:

1) Choose the correct golf clubs: - One of the most helpful tips to remember is to choose the correct golf clubs. The fact is that some golfers hit a ball too harder. Hitting the ball harder does not mean added distance, but may cause a golfer to lose balance. To make the game easier, take a four-iron instead of a five-iron or three-wood instead of a five-wood and so on. Using an extra club provides more distance and allows a golfer to slow down his swing speed.

2) Don’t grip the golf club too tightly:-In Golf, golfer doesn’t want to grip the club too tightly. Grip pressure is a big factor in golf swing. If a golfer grips the club with a death lock, then he won’t allow the club to release properly that result a wrong swing. So it is important to remember that griping the club with easy hands helps a golfer to slowing down golf swing.

3) Position your arms correctly: - To ensure an accurate swing speed, position your elbow at the top of your backswing. Arms should be positioned like a waiter caring a drink platter. The “waiter’s arm” should be identical for left and right arms. By doing this your club face will be on the correct swing plane. By utilizing good mechanics golfer will slow down his tempo and able to hit the ball with slow swing speed.

4) Maintain proper hip position: - Hip position is also very important to slow down golf swing. Many golfers face the problem of not connecting squarely with the ball because they fail to turn their hips during the shot. This cause the club to open which leads to drastic shot. So it is advisable to practice proper hip rotation until it becomes natural. Golfer will see a huge improvement in the golf swing speed when he makes hip position naturally.

5) Keep your knees bent through entire swing: - Lastly learn to focus on keeping your body down through the entire swing to slow down the speed of the swing.

These 5 simple tips to slow down golf swing help a golfer to maintain his swing speed and also increase the level of enjoyment in the game of golf.

Amenities of Aldwark Manor Golf Course are:

• Four star hotel/Golf breaks
• Putting green, short game area and practice ground
• Golf coaching and Clinics/ Young Masters Golf classes
• Corporate hospitality day
• Conference facilities
• Heated indoor swimming pool, fishing, sauna, gymnasium
• Club Bar

Reviews shared by some golfers who had played on the Aldwark Manor Golf Course are:

1) The grounds are good for strolling in, nice and peacefully attached to a golf course. Ideal stop over for York. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a peaceful weekend and who want to enjoy golfing.

2) Highly recommended golf course, Aldwark Manor was very good, staff excellent and attentive and also food was exceptional.

3) Played first round there with my Son, Excellent course I must say. In spite of recent rain the course was in excellent condition and the staff in the club shop was very helpful. Fair but challenging holes with lots of water to hit. Very beautiful scenery throughout the course and the Manor itself is breathtaking. Congratulations to the staff there and all involved.

4) Pleasant parkland course. No hills. Good greens and fairways. Needs accuracy off the tee.

5) One of my favorites course. Always in great condition, lovely greens, lush tree lines fairways, great views. A lot of very interesting holes. One of the few courses around that will make you use every club in the bag.

6) This course is a must play if you are in York, it is set in beautiful parkland with the river Ure running through it, the only down side of this course is the 4^th & 14^th holes use the same fairway and you have to have your wits about you when playing them. But you will not be disappointed when you finish your round and booking through tee off times give you value for money.

Overall rating or review of the golfers about Aldwark Manor Golf Course is:

The course: 4 out of 5

Club facilities & Services: 4.5 out of 5

Value for money: 4.8 out of 5

Reviews of Aldwark Manor Golf Course are quite good. This course is a must play if you are in York because it has many interesting features that includes water hazards, down hills, some rare and mature trees, number of fairways and stunning scenery alongside the River Ure.

1) Yani Tseng: Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer, born on 23 Jan 1989. She is currently ranked number 1 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking. Tseng is currently playing on the U.S based LPGA Tour.  She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships.

2) Na Yeon Choi: She is a South Korean female professional golfer, born on 28 Oct 1987. Na Yeon Choi turned professional golfer in 2004 and joined LPGA Tour in 2008. She is currently ranked number 2 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking.

3) Suzann Pettersen: Suzann is a Norwegian professional golfer, born on 7 April 1981. She is currently ranked number 3 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking. She has held this position several times. Pettersen plays mainly on the U.S based LPGA Tour and also she is a member of the Ladies European Tour.

4) Cristie Kerr: Cristie Kerr is an American professional golfer, born on 12 Oct 1977. She is currently ranked number 4 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking. She has 14 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships. Kerr was the number one-ranked golfer in the Women’s World Golf Rankings for three time periods in 2010.

5) In-Kyung “I.K.” Kim: She is a South Korean female professional golfer, born on 13 June 1988. Kim is currently playing on the LPGA Tour. Her current ranking is 5 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking

Top Ranking Men Golfers in the World as of 8 April 2012 are:

1) Luke Donald: - Luke Donald is currently the world’s number one professional golfer. He belongs to England and was born on 7 December 1977. Luke plays mainly on the U.S based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006, Luke reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career and in 2011 he became number one in the World Rankings after winning the BMW PGA Championship.

2) Rory Mcllroy: - Currently Rory Mcllroy ranking is second in the Official World Golf Ranking. Mcllroy is a North Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down, North Ireland.  He was born on 4^th May 1989. He represented Europe, Great Britain and Ireland as both an amateur player and professional golfer. He is a former world’s number one professional golfer.

3) Lee John Westwood: - Lee is an English professional golfer and is currently on a third position in the Official World Golf Ranking. He was born on 24^th April 1973. Lee is one of the few golfers who have won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He has represented Europe for the last seven consecutive Ryder Cups.  In 2010 he became world’s number one golfer and held the number one position for 22 weeks.

4) Bubba Watson: - Watson is an American professional golfer and is currently on a 4th position in the Official World Golf Ranking. He was born on 5^th Nov 1978. Bubba is a left hander golfer. He is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph and can hit a ball over 350 yards. Watson won the 2012 Masters Tournament as a result he became number 4^th professional golfer in the world ranking.

5) Hunter Myles Mahan: - He is an American professional golfer, born on 17^th May 1982 in California. Hunter is currently on a 5^th position in the Official World Golf Ranking. Mahan turned professional in 2003. He usually plays on the PGA Tours.

Above mentioned are the Top Ranking Golfers in the World

Golf carts work very hard for us therefore they need some basic care and maintenance to ensure they will last for several golfing seasons. Reading the car manual helps us to have an idea about the vehicle and we should also learn the basic maintenance techniques for golf carts.

Maintenance Schedule

We should prepare a schedule to carry out the maintenance activities regularly after learning the basic and some tips.

First of all we must pay attention to general maintenance for both GAS and ELECTRIC golf carts. General maintenance requires weekly check up of air in tires. There should be no cuts or punctures in tires and the pressure should be between 20-22 PSI. We should check break system, gears and steering. Forward and reverse gears should be operational. Steering should be normal with no abnormal sounds. We should check break system, engine, suspension and tires every three months under general maintenance schedule.

Battery Maintenance:

In electric golf carts, no dirt should get accumulated on the internal parts of the battery otherwise the wiring gets affected. Clearing the top and sides of the battery is very important for long term life of the electric golf cart as well as its day to day performance. We should also keep in mind to charge batteries daily.

Water Level:

It is necessary to check the electrolyte water level in each cell of the batteries because the leaded plates in the battery must be submerged for their proper functioning. Check the water levels weekly and refill them by using distilled water. Water level in the battery should be maintained to the specific mark as per the guidelines in car manual.

Connection Check:

Checking the cables in the battery is also must to keep the battery in a working condition. The battery caps and cable connections may become loose and they should be tightened time to time. Professional help can be taken for repairing the damaged cables in the battery or if possible you yourself can change the damaged connectors.

Tips for maintenance of Gas golf carts

For maintenance of gas golf carts, suggested tips include weekly check up of oil level and oil change after every 125 hours of operation. We should also clean or replace air filter semiannually or every 125 hours of operation. Spark plug must also be changed when required. We should also examine fuel lines for punctures, corrosion, leaks etc.

Simple maintenance problems are easy to tackle but if some complicated problems appear, they should be dealt only by professionals and left for the mechanic to sort out.

We hope the above mentioned maintenance tips will definitely be very helpful for keeping the golf cart work smoothly and will last for several golf seasons.