Perspectives on Course DesignPerspective of Golf Course Design

So how did the term IP originate in Japan?
Golf course construction in Japan basically started as civil engineering work. In order to proceed with the construction, it was first necessary to create a permit (construction) drawing, and the method considered there was the introduction of route planning, in which the entire route plan was considered as one road connecting holes. This process later became the basic pattern for creating golf course planning drawings (longitudinal and cross-sectional drawings), and at the time, this method was a good idea because it was both efficient and effective.
The route plan continues the curve around the road center to create a line. The point of intersection (break point) on the extension of the line that makes this curved section is called the IP (INTERSECTION POINT) in surveying terminology (see Figure-1).
Especially in the case of golf courses, the angle (dogleg) is often set at 90 degrees and the width at least 50 to 70 meters, and the IP is inevitably placed in the center of the hole. The course designer's on-site inspection during construction will always use this point as a reference point to give instructions on the placement of various hazards, such as "how many meters to the right of the IP should we build a bunker or a mound (......). In other words, the IP will remain as an important reference point for site management until construction is completed. It is thought that the name of the survey point that remained until completion became the term "IP" as it is today. This is one of the reasons why the term "IP" does not exist in Europe and the United States, where golf course construction methods (landscaping) are fundamentally different from those in Japan.

Apart from the language problem, it seems that there is a mixture of inherited IPs and IPs defined by the designer from the beginning. Needless to say, the latter is the IP that should be called the core of the hole design, and if this core is not consistent, the balance of the entire course will be affected. In order to correct this imbalance, course renovation is inevitable.
For example, if we want to deal with the blurring of flying distance, we can simply increase the distance from the tee to the IP. In other words, if there is enough land available, a new teeing ground should be built at the rear of the course. If not, the IP point should be moved (extended) and the surrounding hazard areas should be reviewed. In this way, IP is an important point when reviewing a single hazard as a standard (core) of course design.
Figure-2 is a DIAGRAMII (illustrative overview diagram) of a standard par 4 hole from SOMESSAYS ON GOLF-COURSE ARCHITECTURE 1920, co-authored by renowned designers H.S. Colt and C.H. Allison.
The diagram shows four ABCD ways to attack the course according to your skill level. The expected landing point of the ball is B, which is the basic route in the course design, and the breaking point of this hole can be considered as the standard (core) IP as described so far.
Basically, if your tee shot does not reach the IP zone, you cannot enjoy the game of golf. In other words, if the IP (distance) setting is not accurate, you will not be able to "how to attack" the original hazard area, the real thrill of course strategy, "how to choose your attack and recovery chances".
For this reason, the course was originally designed with several tees, including the front tees and ladies' tees, each designed to accommodate the skills and age of each player. However, the question remains as to whether each tee is being used properly.