Planning is possibly the most critical aspect of designing a golf course. The designer must be completely thorough, not just in the routing of the golf holes, but by considering every conceivable implication of placing a hole in a certain geographic location. The goal is to create 18 distinctly different golf holes, with enough common threads that make them, undeniably, part of the whole (golf course). The routing represents how the golf holes are located within the property. Early on in this process, it is necessary to estimate the anticipated annual play, type of players, cost per round, etc. and begin aligning the information with the playing season. The combination of this data will have bearing on how certain components of the golf course are designed and how certain components are constructed. Through this process and in an effort to make Golf Architecture slightly less mysterious, Cupp Enterprises has refined the definition of golf design into three major categories, Strategy, Aesthetics and Conditioning. As an example, consider a sand trap. Where that sand trap is located within the geographical framework of a golf hole has bearing on the golf shot, so for this reason, hazard location is part of the Strategy category. What that bunker looks like, such as complex edges or simple edges, large capes, long and skinny sand lines or round sand lines, these considerations fall into the more artistic category of Aesthetics. From here, consider how that bunker is constructed. Also, what is happening around the bunker with regard to water movement? Is the area surrounding the bunker properly prepared to maintain healthy turf? Following the proper guidelines impact the Conditioning of the course, or the ability to maintain a certain standard of turf quality.