Background and content:
The „Guidelines for the Construction of Golf Courses“ are applicable for the construction and the renovation of all types of golf courses including the practice areas and including the grow-in period until the approval of the lawn areas and the development phase until the opening for play. The rules of these guidelines conform to the requirements of functioning standard courses and can be used analogous for all types of golf courses including their practice facilities. They are based on results and experiences of profound research, consulting, planning and construction implementation. The Gudielines apply to all kinds of golf courses, as there are practise courses for the short game (pitch- and putt-course), short course (par-3-course), Short course/executive course for handicap competitions, Standard courses, championship courses as well as for the different areas like for example greens, practice greens, roughs, semi roughs, landing areas, bunkers. It also applys to the judgement on site investigations and soil conditions. Therfor the guidelines describe possible constructing methods with and without drainage saystems. For water supply general principles are estabished. The usage of the guidelines has proven to be workable for the construction implementation of golf courses and has become a vital part of tenders and contracts for new construction and renovation projects. The guidelines have been made for experts and is supposed to be heplful for cooperation between contractors, planners and constructing firms. Disregard or deviations of these guidelines may lead to significant consequences for example regarding the construction standards, playability and traffic tolerance, construction costs and follow up maintenance or renovation costs. This is especially relevant for the requirements of construction materials and the construction of greens, collars and tees. After updating the guidelines in the years of 1995 and 2000 the FLL presents herewith the 4th edition. Furthermor on other issues like security aspects on golf courses, impact of golf courses for humans and nature, technical aspects of nature preservation areas, basic principles of landscape planning aspects and requirements for the maintenance management, recommendations for the implementation of cultural landscape aspects for planning and the design of golf courses and golf course permit FLL has issued together with the German Golf Association e. V. (DGV) the technical report „Golf Courses as Part of the Cultivated Landscape - Planning and Permission“.

Information about the FLL Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau e.V. (FLL), www.fll.de The Landscape Development and Landscaping Research Society e.V. – (FLL) - Issuer of regulatory works for the “green sector” – founded 1975 – non-profit organisation The FLL creates regulatory works, issues guidance and writes reports for the “green sector” in 50 interdisciplinary bodies. These are published in a series of reference materials. With the formulation of concrete requirements, the FLL plays an important role in promoting sustainability. 450 professional and experienced people (scientists, council representatives, planning offices, contractors, manufacturers, expert witnesses etc.) volunteer their time for this work. The FLL also engages itself in the planning of future oriented
projects and events for the “green sector”. The FLL currently has the members of 31 trade associations among its ranks, of which 5 are international associations. It takes on the role of a forum for discussion for its around 20,000 members, dealing with the specialist topics of landscape architecture, landscape development and landscape engineering. FLL publications are guaranteed unbiased, conform to the principles of the German Standards Institute (DIN) and therefore enjoy a high level of acceptance within the regulatory standards of the building industry. They reflect the most modern techniques and technology and therefore should be implemented as codes of practice. A rebuttable presumption exists, that the generally recognised codes of practice are in fact a part of the construction tendering and contract regulations, once proved in practice. This is due to the early incorporation of the panel of experts and the use of the opposition procedure. Numerous FLL publications or methods advocated within have, with express references in the landscape engineering standard (DIN 18915 to 18920), become a constituent element of contracts. This is automatically the case with public tenders. The content of the FLL regulatory works are introduced and presented to a wide public at special training seminars. The FLL coordinates and promotes research projects dealing with issues relevant to its publications.