Chapter 1.  History of Park Golf

The game of Park Golf was invented in 1983 in Japan. It was started by a group of elderly golfers that wanted an easier game to walk and play while still getting outside, exercise, all while still enjoying their love of the game of golf. Their original idea was to have a game that would be affordable, multi-generational, social, and easy to learn and play for all ages and abilities. Starting in a city park they designed the game with special clubs, balls, and tees and laid out a  small foot print course that later became the design for the very first park golf course. 

The game quickly became very popular in Asia and later spreading around the world. The first park golf course opened in America in 2013 in New York. Wormburner Park Golf opened next in Ohio in 2021 and then Rines Creek Park Golf opened in Canada. This is the beginning of an expansion of park golf and the purpose for the formation of the North American Park Golf Association (NAPGA) as a need to unify the specifications for safety and quality of the equipment, the course, as well as have rules of the game of Park Golf.

1. Championship Course 

This is the largest course in terms of area and number of holes. Must be 18 or more holes and must follow all the course guidelines as listed in the course section. This is the perfect size course to hold tournaments and events.

2. Executive Course

This is a smaller course and is used when there is a smaller area of land available. It should have a minimum of 9 holes and no more than 17 holes to be considered an Executive course and follow the course guidelines as listed in the course section.

3. Parkland Course

This is the smallest course and as an example it is could be used at schools, businesses, driving ranges, etc. where land is at a premium and still want to add the game of park golf. This course can be anything from 2 to 8 holes and must follow the course guideline as listed in the course section.

The area can be any size and every size can be determined according to the natural features of the land. Terrain can be flat, slope, or even downhill as long as the area is fairly smooth/ level and can be grass, turf, packed sand or hard dirt on the surface. Total recommended area is using an 18 holes course. There is no minimum or maximum limit area, but the general rule is 2 to 5 acres are needed for safety and course layout. Less area is needed if not a Championship course as long as the length of the holes reach the hole requirement of between 25 to 125 yards per hole. 

An 18 hole park golf course will have a maximum length of no more than 1,100 yards.  (Divide by 2 if 9 holes)

The park golf course should be sited on a tract of grassy field or clay ground, and its fairways should be planned for games and competition.

On the course, the natural objects such as trees, rocks, low wall, and mounds can be used as obstacles or boundary lines.

The outer reaches of the fairway boundary can be set up as a spectator's area with reference to the natural features of the course.

The park should have maps, floor plans, signage, score cards, etc. Explaining the layout of the course, distance to the hole, par for the hole, number of the hole,and also some general safety rules posted at the office or somewhere before the beginning of the first hole. 

The ball does not fly very high, so no water, creeks, walls, etc. should be in path towards the hole or an area that can not be rolled over. A general rule is the better the surface, the better the ball rolls.

The surface of the fairway should be even and smooth but can have slopes and hills.

Fairways may be setup with simple obstacles (rocks,tree stumps, walls,etc.) and temporary boundary lines can also be added.

According to the size of the park golf course, fairways of different distances are planned. Fairway distances vary from 25 to 125 yards (75 to 375 feet) in length.

The fairways should be maintained regularly, and grass on the fairways should be mowed closely in advance of play with any rough marking a second cut of 1 yard (3 feet) marking the out of bounds area.

The width of each fairway can be planned in accordance with its natural features, but the narrowest should not be less than 4 yards (12 feet) in width, and the widest should not be more than 13 yards (39 feet).

The distance of a fairway shorter than 40  yards is called short distance and a par 3, and between 40 to 75 yards called medium distance is a par 4, and between 75 to 125 yards is called long distance and be a par 5.

Of the 18 fairways, it is recommended at least four are curving fairways; of them two are left curving fairways and two are right-curving fairways. Dog legs are allowed as long as they have a landing area in the fairway, so they can make the turn (1/3 to 1/2 halfway) and go toward the hole on the next shot. Cutting the corners is not recommended for safety reasons and could be out of bounds. Out of bound penalty can occur if the ball crosses out and enters and lands in bound.

The length of the fairway is measured from the central point of the tee area starting point along the fairway center to the central point of the hole. This length is regarded as the actual distance of each fairway.

At the beginning of each fairway, should be setup for teeing off, which is called tee box area. If it is raised in should be no more than 6 inches off the ground and should be at least a 1 1/2 yard by 1 1/2 yard (4feet 6inches) in size to stand on.

At the end of each fairway should be green area for the 8” cup. The greens should be a minimum of 4 yards (12 feet) and a maximum of 6 yards (18 feet) if figured as a round green, but can be any design you prefer. Always allow a minimum of 1 yard (3 feet) buffer zone from the edge of the green for placement of the cup and in the center is preferred.

On each fairway, only 4 players are recomended but more can be allowed if the course is not busy. Please know the course rules and their number of players allowed to play at the same time for speed and safety reasons. 

Course pars should be 66 if possible, but can be anywhere between 58 and 66. The distance and difficulty of the hole can make a shorter hole a higher par than a straight easy hole. Try to include 3 par 5’s, 6 par 4, and 9 par 3’s and that would give you a 66 on the 18 holes. All out of bounds and hazards should be clearly marked with stakes, signs, higher grass or other methods. If bunkers are desired they should be designed to roll in and roll out and not to trap the ball. When designing a course start with a few shorter holes and less difficult ones so player can get a feel of the game and also get a head start for safety and distance away from the next group.

Always remember that Park Golf is more about safety and accuracy and not as much as distance and just whacking the ball as hard as you can.

Chapter 4. Certified Equipment Guidelines

There is never an extra charge if using North American Park Golf  Association (NAPGA) Certified equipment or American Park Golf Certified equipment. The certifying park has the option to certify other brands of equipment for a small certification fee if they choose to inspect the equipment, approve the equipment and issue a sticker. There is a one time certification  fee that is valid as long as it is on the club. Damaged or removed sticker will need to be re-purchased. Only certified equipment will be used in tournaments and it’s up to the parks discretion to allow it to be certified or not for casual or league play. The sticker fee can range from $10.00 to $25.00 depending if it is a tournament or not. The park golf course owner has the final decision and at his / her option can inspect,collect, and issue stickers to be reported to the North American Park Golf Association (NAPGA). Clubs with another country's sticker can be certified with a visual inspection for safety and if approved can be stickered with a North American Park Golf Association (NAPGA) or American Park Golf certified sticker as mentioned above.

For more information on Certified Equipment and Specifications see #7. in the section of Park Golf Rules on this website.