<P> In the U.S., land administered by the Army Corps of Engineers, such as those bordering levees and lakes, is often desirable for building courses, due to the scenic natural views and the unsuitability of the land for other purposes due to it lying in a planned flood plain . In these cases, the course designer must work with the Corps of Engineers to plan a course layout that protects environmentally sensitive areas, provides for a means of quick escape in case of flooding, and does not invite players to hit into or toward controlled structures such as levees or dams . </P> <P> Some environmentalists and other activists continue to lobby against the building of new golf courses, claiming they may impede corridors for migrating animals and damage sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife, though some courses have become havens for native and non-native creatures . </P> <P> A result of modern equipment is that today's players can hit the ball much farther than previously . As a result, because of demand from course customers who possess this enhanced equipment, and also out of an expressed concern for safety, golf course architects have had to lengthen and widen golf courses . Where a 7,000 - yard course used to be a great rarity, courses measuring 7,500 - yards are now not uncommon, and courses of 8,000 - yards are being contemplated . All this has led to a ten - percent increase in the acreage required to build a typical course . At the same time, water restrictions established by communities have forced courses to limit the amount of maintained turf grass . While most modern 18 - hole golf courses occupy as much as 60 hectares (150 acres) of land, the average course has 30 hectares (74 acres) of maintained turf . </P> <P> Golf courses can be built on sandy areas along coasts, on abandoned farms, among strip mines and quarries, and in deserts and forests . Many Western countries have instituted environmental restrictions on where and how courses are allowed to be built . </P>

How much land does a golf course need