Caspar Grauballe: Winter is coming

Golf in Norway has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. 

The number of golf club members nationwide has surged from 100,000 to 150,000 since the pandemic, while registered rounds have climbed by 20 per cent in just the past year. This surge in participation has presented new challenges for golf courses across the country, especially given Norway’s short playing season due to its cold climate. 

How can courses keep pace with the growing demand while maintaining quality and efficiency? The answer may lie in two innovative strategies: adjusting tee time intervals and optimising course layouts. 

Reducing the time between tee times might seem like an obvious solution to accommodate more players. However, this can lead to overcrowded courses, slower rounds and frustrated golfers. A better approach, particularly during Norway’s long summer days, is to optimise tee time intervals for the speed of rounds; by improving pace of play, courses can host more players without sacrificing their experience. 

Experimenting with intervals is a relatively quick adjustment that can yield significant benefits. Every course is different, and the optimum teeing interval may be longer than seems logical, but may reduce queuing, which can in turn speed up the overall playing time. Faster rounds lead to happier golfers – and more opportunities for everyone to enjoy the course. 

In Norway, the golf season often lasts six months or less. To maximise play, courses must open as early and close as late in the year as possible. Achieving this requires courses to emerge from winter with minimal damage, as ice and freezing conditions can severely impact the grass and, in turn, the playing season. 

From a design perspective, this challenge bridges agronomy and architecture. Sustainable course maintenance starts with designing greens and fairways that prioritise optimal growing conditions. My mentor, Fred W. Hawtree, once described golf course design as “95 per cent drainage and five per cent common sense”. That wisdom remains as relevant today as ever. 

Drainage is crucial in Norway’s climate, where frequent freeze-thaw cycles can cause ice buildup on greens, leading to dead grass in spring. To combat this, it’s essential to divert water away from greens efficiently. In steep, mountainous terrain, runoff from surrounding areas often flows across flatter greens, increasing the risk of ice formation. Good design minimises this risk, ensuring greens can withstand Norway’s demanding conditions. 

The rise in rounds played has taken its toll on many courses, with wear-and-tear most evident on high-traffic areas like par-three tees. These compact teeing areas often struggle to recover quickly enough from divots. 

On greens, the effects of increased play are subtler but equally significant. Thinning turf and a shift towards poa annua dominance is a common occurrence. This grass type, while initially inconspicuous, is more susceptible to disease and winter damage, which can leave greens vulnerable to widespread winterkill. 

For tees, the answer is straightforward: build larger teeing areas to distribute wear more evenly. For greens, the solution is more nuanced. It’s not just about increasing the size of the greens but also addressing golfer traffic patterns. Bottlenecks near bunkers or paths to the next tee often funnel wear into specific spots, causing damage. 

To mitigate this, course designers must consider the natural walking paths of players. By shaping green surrounds strategically, golfers are encouraged to take different routes depending on pin location and ball placement – this spreads wear more evenly and helps maintain turf quality throughout the season. 

Norway’s golf boom is both an exciting opportunity and a unique challenge. By embracing thoughtful course design and strategic maintenance practices, courses can meet the demands of today’s players while preserving quality for future generations. In a country where nature’s beauty defines the game, sustainability and smart design are the keys to keeping golfers on the greens – no matter the season.  

Caspar Grauballe is a Danish golf course designer and president of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects. 

This article first appeared in the January 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page.

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