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Area of Golfing Greens

Problem:

You are a greenskeeper at a golf course. In order to know how much fertilizer to apply to the grrens, you need an estimate of their areas. How would you estimate the area of a golf green? (Keep practical considerations in mind. Your procedure should be feasible under actual conditions on a golf green and as simple as possible.)

Comments:

To simplify the problem, assume that the green is flat.

The usual elementary school approach of imposing a grid over a model and counting the squares does not translate out into the field very well. You need a process that lets you go onto the golf green, make measurements, and estimate the area.

Hints/Solution:

One suggestion.


Extensions/Variations:

(a) Compare this problem with Flowing Stream.

(b) How would you estimate the area of a lake?


References: Mathematics Teacher article by Gary Martin and Joao Ponte.

TITLE: Measuring the Area of Golf Greens and Other Irregular Regions.
AUTHORS: Martin, W. Gary, & Ponte, Joao
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1985
JOURNAL_CITATION: Mathematics Teacher; v78 n5 p385-89 May 1985