Designing for slower swing speeds: Inclusive, playable and sustainable golf course design

EIGCA members Kari Haug and Giulia Ferroni recently joined Leighton Walker on The GreenPrint Podcast to explore a subject that is gaining increasing importance in golf course architecture: how design can better serve players with slower swing speeds.

While much industry discussion focuses on how far elite players hit the ball, the reality is that the majority of golfers — including many women, senior men, juniors, beginners and players with disabilities — operate at significantly slower swing speeds. Designing courses primarily around long hitters risks creating layouts that are less playable, less enjoyable and less inclusive for a large proportion of the golfing population.

Drawing on original research, practical design experience and renovation case studies, Kari and Giulia shared how data-driven, empathetic design can create golf courses that are fairer, more engaging and more sustainable.

Why slower swing speeds matter

Kari Haug has led one of the most comprehensive studies into amateur swing speeds and distances, helping to fill a critical gap in industry data. While professional and elite amateur data is widely available, there has historically been very limited robust research focused on everyday club golfers.

Her research — developed in collaboration with Club Champion and academic partners — collected detailed Trackman data from hundreds of amateur women golfers. The findings closely align with data in the 2020 and 2024 USGA and R&A Distance Insights Report :

• The driving distance for average amateur women is 150 yards
• Women in the 100^th percentile drive the ball approximately 200 yards which is similar to the 196 yards that average amateur senior men hit their drives
• Carry distances are significantly shorter, with a greater percentage of the shot derived from roll
• Lower ball flight and reduced carry affect hazard clearance and green access

Since the average male golfer drives the ball 216 yards, these differences are not marginal. In many cases, there is a 70–80 yard gap between typical male and female amateur driving distances. Designing primarily for longer hitters can therefore unintentionally penalise slower swing speed players throughout the hole — from tee shot, to approach, to green surrounds.

Forward tees: More than just “shorter”

Both architects emphasised that inclusivity is not simply about adding a tee 50 or 80 yards forward. Poorly located forward tees can:

• Create awkward angles of play
• Bring hazards disproportionately into play
• Reduce strategic interest
• Feel like an afterthought in the design

Instead, forward tees should be fully integrated into the architectural strategy, offering their own coherent playing experience.

Key principles discussed included:

• Aligning forward tees with appropriate landing areas
• Allowing different strategic lines of play where necessary
• Ensuring forward tees are properly constructed and maintained
• Avoiding marginal, hard-to-find or undersized teeing grounds
• Designing tees that feel intentional, not secondary

As Kari noted, respectful, high-quality tee design plays a role in player dignity and experience. Golfers quickly recognise when a tee has been thoughtfully designed — or when it has simply been “added on”.

Designing for carry, roll and ball flight

Slower swing speeds typically mean:

• Lower ball flight
• Shorter carry distances
• Greater reliance on roll

These factors have important design implications, particularly for:

Forced carries – Cross bunkers, water hazards and long carries can disproportionately penalise slower players. Kari’s research shows that for some players, forced carries may need to be reduced to 75 yards or less to remain playable.

Hazard placement – Hazards positioned for long hitters may fall directly in the landing zones of slower players, turning strategic hazards into unavoidable penalties.  When this happens, an improved tee location and centre-line from the forward tee, and/or a surmountable and strategic hazard design is recommended.

Trees and vegetation – Lower trajectories make overhanging vegetation and vegetation at pond edges more challenging, reinforcing the importance of thoughtful clearance and sightlines.

Green complexes and ground game access

Both architects highlighted the importance of green design in supporting slower swing speeds.

Key strategies include:

• Providing ground-game access routes into greens
• Reducing reliance on elevated greens with steep false fronts and fall-off shoulders
• Designing surrounds at the back of greens that retain shots with longer roll-out
• Creating alternative approach angles
• Using green shaping to offer multiple ways to approach the green

These design techniques not only benefit slower swing speed players, but also support accessibility, ageing golfers and those with limited mobility.

Cultural change: From tee colours to tee lengths

Giulia also discussed the cultural dimension of tee selection. Traditional colour-based tee systems can discourage golfers — particularly men — from playing the tees best suited to their distance.

Moving towards length-based tee recommendations and encouraging flexible, inclusive tee usage can:

• Improve pace of play
• Enhance enjoyment
• Reduce frustration
• Support player retention

Forward tees can also create a “course within a course”, offering shorter, strategic layouts that suit time-pressured golfers and new participants.

Sustainability benefits

Inclusive design can also support environmental and cultural sustainability:

Reduced turf areas near forward tees

• Increased naturalised and biodiverse zones
• Potentially less irrigation and maintenance demand
• Improved long-term member retention
• Broader participation and access to the game

As Kari highlighted, thoughtful tee placement can allow fairway turf to begin further down the hole, opening opportunities for habitat creation and reduced resource use.

A data-driven, empathetic future

This conversation reflects a growing shift within golf course architecture: moving away from a singular focus on championship length, and towards playability, equity and enjoyment for the majority of golfers.

By combining robust data, architectural creativity and empathy for how different players experience the course, architects can create layouts that:

• Better reflect real-world golfers
• Support inclusion and accessibility
• Improve long-term club sustainability
• Enhance the overall playing experience

EIGCA is proud to have members like Kari Haug and Giulia Ferroni leading this important work and helping to shape a more inclusive future for golf course design.

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Based on The Greenprint Podcast interview with Kari Haug and Giulia Ferroni

Other episodes featuring EIGCA members are:

• Paul Kimber, Caspar Grauballe, Tim Lobb (with Andy Brown from Gold Partner, Toro) examined how modern machinery and technology are reshaping golf course design. Drawing on diverse architectural perspectives alongside expertise from the machinery and irrigation sector, the conversation explores how advances in construction, maintenance and automation are influencing design intent, playability and long-term course management. Topics include firmness, green speeds, the evolving role of bunkers, autonomous mowing, and the growing impact of digital tools such as GPS, highlighting how technology is shaping both professional practice and golfer expectations. Listen here (30th January 2026)
• Paul Jansen discusses the development of his career in golf course architecture, beginning with his early experience in the profession, including a formative period with Faldo Design. He goes on to describe two collaborative initiatives developed with Nick Faldo, focused on rethinking practice environments through high-quality short courses, short-game areas, and advanced putting facilities. Paul explains how these projects respond to growing demand for realistic, well-crafted practice spaces that emphasise detail, strategy, and true playability. The conversation also turns to the Ponta do Pargo project in Madeira, where Paul reflects on the challenges and opportunities of working with a dramatic coastal landscape, the long-term vision for the site, and the progress toward its planned opening in 2027. Listen here (4th December 2025)
• Caspar Grauballe, outgoing President, and his successor, Gary Johnston, reflect on a period of transition for the Institute following the recent Annual Meeting in the north of Scotland, which also marked EIGCA’s 25th anniversary. Their conversation explores the Institute’s role in championing the profession, the growing importance of sustainability highlighted at Dornoch, the enduring significance of Royal Dornoch itself, and how the role of the golf course architect continues to evolve, drawing on insights from their own current work. Listen here (15th June 2025). Read summary post here.
• Tim Lobb reflects on the path that led him from his formative years in Melbourne to key professional experiences with European Golf Design and Thompson, Perrett and Lobb, before establishing his own studio. He discusses how these stages shaped an approach to design that responds to the landscape, rather than trying to dominate it. Listen here (11th May 2025).