Method of playing a compact golf course

Abstract

A compact golf course layout and method of play utilizing shared fairways and greens. The course includes a central green complex, a proximal green complex, and distal green complex. An imaginary PGD-DGC centroid connector is a straight line from the centroid of the proximal green complex to the centroid of the distal green complex. The course has at least two fairways located on opposite sides of the PGC-DGC centroid connector, and a plurality of teeing areas with at least two of the plurality of teeing areas located on opposite sides of the PGC-DGC centroid connector. The course design includes par-3 holes, par-4 holes, and par-5 holes and provides a golfer with a very diverse playing experience involving a wide variety of holes, tee shots, approach shots, forced carries, forced lay-ups, and changes in direction.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of playing  9  holes on a compact golf course having a proximal green complex ( 200 ) with a PGC centroid ( 210 ), a distal green complex ( 300 ) with a DGC centroid ( 310 ), a central green complex ( 100 ) located between the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ), an imaginary PGD-DGC centroid connector ( 1000 ) is a straight line from the PGC centroid ( 210 ) to the DGC centroid ( 310 ), a sinistral fairway ( 400 ), a dextral fairway ( 500 ), and a plurality of teeing areas including at least a first teeing area ( 600 ), a second teeing area ( 700 ), a third teeing area ( 800 ), and a fourth teeing area ( 900 ), the method comprising:
 a) playing a first par-5 hole by teeing off from a first par-5 teeing area selected from one of the plurality of teeing areas and hitting across the PGD-DGC centroid connector ( 1000 ) to a first par-5 fairway selected from the sinistral fairway ( 400 ) and the dextral fairway ( 500 ), and then playing to a first par-5 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ); 
 b) playing a second par-5 hole by teeing off from a second par-5 teeing area selected from one of the plurality of teeing areas other than the first par-5 teeing area and located on the opposite side of the PGD-DGC centroid connector ( 1000 ) from the first par-5 teeing area, and hitting across the PGD-DGC centroid connector ( 1000 ) to a second par-5 fairway selected from the sinistral fairway ( 400 ) and the dextral fairway ( 500 ) that is not the first par-5 fairway, and then playing to a second par-5 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ); 
 c) playing a plurality of par-4 holes including at least a first par-4 hole and a second par-4 hole; and 
 d) playing a plurality of par-3 holes including at least a first par-3 hole, a second par-3 hole, and a third par-3 hole. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second par-5 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ) is the same as the first par-5 green complex. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second par-5 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ) is not the same green complex as the first par-5 green complex. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of playing a plurality of par-3 holes includes playing a par-3 hole after the first par-5 hole and before the second par-5 hole. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of playing a plurality of par-3 holes includes playing the first par-3 hole to the central green complex ( 100 ), and playing the second par-3 hole to the central green complex ( 100 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of playing a plurality of par-3 holes includes playing the third par-3 hole to the central green complex ( 100 ). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of playing the first par-4 hole includes teeing off from a first par-4 teeing area selected from one of the plurality of teeing areas, and the step of playing the second par-4 hole includes teeing off from a second par-4 teeing area selected from one of the plurality of teeing areas other than the first par-4 teeing area and located on the opposite side of the PGD-DGC centroid connector ( 1000 ) from the first par-4 teeing area. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first par-4 hole is played to a first par-4 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ), and the second par-4 hole is played to a second par-4 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ), wherein the first par-4 green complex is the same as the second par-4 green complex. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first par-4 hole is played to a first par-4 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ), and the second par-4 hole is played to a second par-4 green complex selected from the proximal green complex ( 200 ) and the distal green complex ( 300 ), wherein the first par-4 green complex is different than the second par-4 green complex. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of playing a plurality of par-3 holes includes playing a par-3 hole immediately after the first par-4 hole and the second par-4 hole. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the par-3 hole immediately after the first par-4 hole plays to the central green complex ( 100 ), and the par-3 hole immediately after the second par-4 hole plays to the central green complex ( 100 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of teeing areas is used to play a par-3 hole and a par-4 hole. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of teeing areas is used to play a par-3 hole, a par-4 hole, and a par-5 hole. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the central green complex ( 100 ) is used in the play of at least three of the plurality of par-3 holes, and the distal green complex ( 300 ) is used in the play of at least one of the plurality of par-3 holes, at least one of the plurality of par-4 holes, and the first par-5 hole. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the proximal green complex ( 200 ) is used in the play of at least one of the plurality of par-3 holes and at least one of the plurality of par-4 holes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least every third hole is a par-3 hole using the central green complex ( 100 ). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the play of the nine holes the direction of play changes from clockwise to counterclockwise or counterclockwise to clockwise at least three times. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the par-4 holes has an effective playing length of at least 251 yards and each of the par-5 holes has an effective playing length of at least 471 yards.