The closely mowed area of a golf hole between the tee and green, providing the ideal playing surface for approach shots. It represents the intended path of play and offers the best conditions for hitting the ball.
Originally a nautical term meaning 'a navigable channel in a river or harbor,' adapted to golf in the late 1800s to describe the clear, well-maintained path between hazards on a golf hole. The term emphasizes the 'fair' or ideal route to the target.
Hitting the fairway is so fundamental to good golf that 'fairways and greens' became the sport's most basic statistical measure, yet even professional golfers only hit about 60% of fairways due to the precision required in a game played across hundreds of yards. The fairway's width and angle are strategic design elements that can make a hole easier or more challenging.
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