Is a golf course a sports pitch at heart? If .

[Thomas Dai]

Is a golf course a sports pitch at heart? If not, should it be?
Thoughts?
Atb

[John Emerson]

Unequivocally no.  A pitch has regulated lines and boundaries. Ie: goal-line, out of bounds,

[David_Tepper]

ATB -

I suppose it all depends on how one defines a "sports pitch." How do you define it?

John E. raises a very good point. The dimensions of the pitch, playing field, court, etc. for just about every sport I can think of (except golf) are stated in the rules of those games. As far as I know, the only dimension stated in the rules of golf regarding the golf course is the diameter of the hole.

DT

[mike_beene]

Baseball, cricket vary in size?

[David_Tepper]

Mike B. -

The outer dimensions of the playing fields for baseball & cricket do vary. In baseball the dimensions of the infield are specific, as is the angle between the foul lines.

The dimensions of the infield of a cricket pitch are also defined:

https://sportquestion.com/cricket/what-are-the-dimensions-of-a-cricket-pitch/

DT

[Thomas Dai]

Let's go a little deeper -
Sports pitches used to be wet and muddy in winter, dry and baked in summer ... now it's drainage and irrigation.
At sports pitches spectators used to stand at the side of the pitch ... now it's mounding and stadiums.
atb

[Jeff_Brauer]

No, and not to mention that golf courses will be the last sports venues to remain outside, and continue to have natural turf (although artificial turf seems to be making micro inroads as time goes on)

[Steve Lang]

   Does a pitch have defined pitch or slopes?  I've been on some natural and artificial turf pitches which have some significant differences..

[SL_Solow]

I think that there is more to this question than has been discussed thus far.  On the one hand, there is the clear differentiation between the relative uniformity of sports' pitches and golf courses.  Other than the size of the hole and the treatment of defined areas under the Rules, there is nothing uniform and each course varies in the manner in which it tests a player's game.  It was this lack of uniformity in the competitive test that animated the debates between Joshua Crane and others, most notably Max Behr, during the golden age.  However, this position can be overstated.  The course is meant to be a field of play.  Designers and committees who emphasize beauty over playability often forget this central purpose as do "tree huggers", those who find "symbolism" in design etc.  Thus while the course is not a uniform playing field, it is meant to be used for an athletic endeavor.


I also note many team sports are played on irregular fields in informal play.  Basketball is played wherever a hoop can be hung.  Football, either American style or what we Yanks call soccer, can be played on any open field as can baseball or cricket.  So golf is a bit of a "tweener"

[Mike Hendren]

My ideal course is a playing field of 150 acres or so covered with turf maintained at fairway height.  A few random trees, perhaps even a tree line of two. Somewhat random bunkering, small in scale that allows each golfer, regardless of skill level to tack his/her way from tee to green.   Toss in a meandering stream if you like and a few berms here or there. 


So my answer is it could be.  But I've don't know of any courses that don't have a defined playing corridor to traverse from tee to green. In that sense, the answer is a resounding no. 


Mike

[Thomas Dai]

I think that there is more to this question than has been discussed thus far.  On the one hand, there is the clear differentiation between the relative uniformity of sports' pitches and golf courses.  Other than the size of the hole and the treatment of defined areas under the Rules, there is nothing uniform and each course varies in the manner in which it tests a player's game.  It was this lack of uniformity in the competitive test that animated the debates between Joshua Crane and others, most notably Max Behr, during the golden age.  However, this position can be overstated.  The course is meant to be a field of play.  Designers and committees who emphasize beauty over playability often forget this central purpose as do "tree huggers", those who find "symbolism" in design etc.  Thus while the course is not a uniform playing field, it is meant to be used for an athletic endeavor.

+1

Now we’re getting somewhere.
Atb

[David_Tepper]

"Sports pitches used to be wet and muddy in winter, dry and baked in summer ... now it's drainage and irrigation.
At sports pitches spectators used to stand at the side of the pitch ... now it's mounding and stadiums."

atb -

What point are you trying to make here? Do you think that sport was some how "better" in the good old days?

DT

[Thomas Dai]

What point are you trying to make here? Do you think that sport was some how "better" in the good old days?

Broadening the Discussion Board discussion. Make of it what you wish. Potentially many aspects to a debate.
Atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

Yes a golf course is a sports pitch in the eyes of UK Law definition.

[David_Tepper]

"Sports pitches used to be wet and muddy in winter, dry and baked in summer ... now it's drainage and irrigation.
At sports pitches spectators used to stand at the side of the pitch ... now it's mounding and stadiums."

I think all sports are very much better for those changes. I am pretty sure anyone who ever broke an ankle or sprained a knee on a badly maintained playing field would agree.