Category: Cinematography

Shooting on golf courses is a mixed blessing on multiple levels. Being outside all day, watching clouds and wildlife, the quiet…

The challenges include – the weather telling you when to shoot, the golfers not really caring about the shots you need, and if you like the game, it can hurt watching everybody else play when you are working. No matter, since the “worst” day shooting on a golf course still beats the best day shooting in any studio.

Here are a few tips to shoot commercial photography or motion on a golf course:

• Choose holes on the back nine if possible. Ideally, #’s 17 and / or 18. Even the earliest golfers won’t arrive there until later. Plus these holes are usually located closer to the parking lot or clubhouse (making for better access).
• It helps tremendously if you and / or your camera operator play golf. Knowing the nuances of the game, from etiquette to wardrobe to pace of play, can benefit you.
• Weather can kill you – literally. Lightning loves golf courses and finds them from far away. Be prepared to take shelter! Have an escape plan.
• Establish a working relationship with the Greenskeeper. You’ ll need their support carts and general guidance. Plus, you’ll be standing on their baby.
• Yield to golfers. They have the right of way.
• At stuffy old-school country clubs or private courses, a strict dress code may be enforced. Stuff like no jeans, collared shirt, etc. might apply to you.
• Know the course by hole, by building, via access roads, and short-cuts.
• Check with the sprinkler schedule. If they are on automatic, you’ll need to know when they blow and if they can be shut off.
• Respect the staff, the game, and the land. They will give back if you do.