Sports Lighting Footcandle Standards for Golf ⛳
These standards offer recommendations for designing sports lighting systems. The objective is to create a suitable luminous environment that enhances the visibility of the playing target (ball), competitors, and surrounding areas. This includes specific guidelines for the sport of golf.
Golf Courses Class IV
Golf CoursesClass IV Footcandle Standards
Class I of competitive play is any competition that is played before a group of 5,000 or more spectators. Lighting criteria for major stadiums and arenas require special design considerations such as vertical and horizontal illuminance values not covered by this practice, which may be defined by individual sports governing bodies and/or broadcasting organizations.
Horizontal illuminance:
Tee Boxes: Light Intensity: 5 fc. CV = 0.25 or less. (Emax/Emin = 3:1 or less)
Golf Driving Ranges Class IV
Golf Driving RangesClass IV Footcandle Standards
Class I of competitive play is any competition that is played before a group of 5,000 or more spectators. Lighting criteria for major stadiums and arenas require special design considerations such as vertical and horizontal illuminance values not covered by this practice, which may be defined by individual sports governing bodies and/or broadcasting organizations.
Horizontal illuminance:
Tee Boxes: Light Intensity: 5 fc. CV = 0.25 or less. (Emax/Emin = 3:1 or less)
Download a copy of all Golf Class Standards
Golf Course Standards and Lighting Guidelines
Golf is categorized as a unidirectional and aerial sport, divided into three main components: the tee box, fairway, and green. It accommodates both recreational and professional televised competitions, but restricts night-time play to recreational levels. The purpose of lighting on golf courses is primarily to benefit the participants, with specific designs to support both casual and professional play. However, the intensity and coverage of the lighting can vary depending on the level of play, ensuring optimal visibility and experience for all types of golfers.
Mounting Heights and Lighting Specs
Typical Mounting Height Chart: To determine the appropriate mounting height for floodlights, reference the chart where the mounting height is read along the diagonal at the intersection of horizontal (setback) and vertical (area width) lines. An example is given for an area width of 160 feet and a pole setback of 50 feet, indicating a typical mounting height of 60 feet.
Mounting Height Chart:
Table 1: Typical Mounting Height Chart: To determine the appropriate mounting height for floodlights, reference the chart where the mounting height is read along the diagonal at the intersection of horizontal (setback) and vertical (area width) lines. An example is given for an area width of 160 feet and a pole setback of 50 feet, indicating a typical mounting height of 60 feet.
Minimum Mounting Heights: The minimum mounting height is set at 20 feet for all ground sports and 30 feet for aerial sports, ensuring safety and effectiveness in lighting.
Landscape and Luminaire Placement:
Using Natural Features for Concealment: Whenever possible, trees and other landscape features should be strategically used to either conceal or obstruct the direct view of the luminaires by players, while ensuring these features do not block the light from illuminating the intended areas.
Considerations for Adjoining Holes: Proper planning should ensure luminaire locations are shared efficiently for lighting areas of adjoining golf holes, with specific focus on the primary hole and secondary consideration for adjacent holes.
Typical Mounting Height Chart for all sports areas – minimum height to bottom floodlight crossarm. To use, read mounting height along diagonal at intersection of horizontal (setback) and vertical (area width) lines.
For example, where Area Width = 160 feet (48.8 meters) and Pole Setback = 50 feet (15.2 meters), the typical mounting height of 60 feet (18.3 meters) is indicated by the diagonal at the intersection. See example point above.
*20 FT minimum mounting height for all ground sports. 30 FT minimum for all aerial sports.
Quick links to get you started:
Sports Lighting vs Flood Lighting
How to Professionally Install LED Sports Lighting
Need Help With Your Sports Lighting?
National LED can be your go-to sports lighting company for field layouts and turnkey installations.
Specific Lighting Techniques and Placement
Specific lighting techniques and placements for golf courses focus on optimizing visibility and minimizing interference during play. It includes detailed guidance for tee box and fairway lighting:
Tee Box Lighting:
Floodlights are strategically placed at least 2 meters behind and centered on the tee box to prevent the player’s shadow from obscuring the ball. The mounting height must be a minimum of 10 meters or half the length of the tee box, whichever is greater, to ensure adequate illumination without interference.
Fairway Lighting:
Configuration for Various Fairway Widths: Lighting setups differ based on fairway width. Narrow fairways require staggered luminaire locations to cover the area effectively, while wider fairways need luminaires placed in opposite configurations to achieve uniform lighting across the entire width.
Illuminance and Glare Control: Luminaires should always be aimed forward in the direction of play. Additionally, visors and other glare-reducing accessories are used as necessary to reduce glare and ensure a comfortable visual experience for players on adjacent holes.
Illuminance Standards and Measurements
The recommended illuminance levels for golf courses, classified under Class IV specifications, are set as follows: Tee boxes and greens should maintain an illuminance of 50 Lux, while fairways are recommended to have 30 Lux. These settings include specific contrast ratios to ensure consistent and sufficient visibility across different playing areas.
Illuminance Standards and Measurements
Illuminance measurement techniques for golf courses specify that tee box readings should be conducted on a 2m x 2m grid at ground level, while fairway measurements are to be taken on a grid that is half the width of the fairway with 9m spacing between measurements. This structured approach ensures accurate and consistent lighting assessments across different areas of the course.
Special Lighting Considerations for Golf Greens
The green lighting configurations specify that lights should be placed on two opposite sides of each green to minimize player shadowing during putting. Luminaires should be angled between 15 and 55 degrees forward of the green’s centerline and spaced no more than three mounting heights apart, ensuring even and effective illumination.
Additional Considerations
In lighting golf courses, special attention must be given to the placement and direction of luminaires to accommodate various terrains and obstacles such as sand traps, water hazards, grass bunkers, and pathways. These areas may require additional lighting to ensure safety and visibility.
Essentials of Golf Driving Ranges
Golf driving ranges are defined as unidirectional aerial sport facilities tailored for golfers who want to practice driving the golf ball. These ranges allow golfers to hit the ball to various distances and heights, reaching up to 400 meters, providing an ideal environment for improving driving skills.
Layout and Design
The layout and design of golf driving ranges focus on the configuration of the tee box and the overall range. The arrangement behind the tee box area is highlighted in Figure 2, which shows the pole layout at a golf driving range. Additionally, the design incorporates precise vertical and horizontal measurements. Vertical levels are recorded at 183 meters from the tee, with elevations between 2 to 6 meters. These measurements are systematically spaced every 2 meters across the width of the landing area to ensure accuracy and consistency in the range’s layout.
Quick links to get you started:
Sports Lighting vs Flood Lighting
How to Professionally Install LED Sports Lighting
Lighting Placement and Standards
Lighting Placement and Standards provide a detailed explanation of how lights are strategically installed behind the tee box, as demonstrated in Figure 3. This arrangement leads to issues such as glare and spill light, requiring design adjustments to mitigate these problems. Furthermore, the document specifies recommended illuminance levels, targeting 200 lux for tees with a uniformity ratio (CV) of 0.25 or less. It also includes guidelines for conducting horizontal and vertical illuminance measurements at ground level, centered on the tee area, and at a 2-meter elevation to maintain appropriate lighting standards.
Alternative Lighting Strategies
This approach emphasizes modifications to minimize glare by installing luminaires on boundary nets, as shown in Figure 4. This demonstrates that strategically placing lights on netting poles effectively reduces glare. The strategy also explores ground-mounted solutions, placing luminaires behind bunkers in the landing area to decrease off-site glare and improve the overall lighting configuration.
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