You often hear people refer to a course as a "great track" or "tract". I vote for tract, as in piece of land. But I never see anyone else spell it this way. I don't get the "track" usage. We aren't racing.

Let's settle this once and for all. What say you?

Think of "track" as a layout.

Track

+1

If we all played "golf" in a pasture, I'd vote for tract. Since a golf course is basically a sequence of holes, track fits the definition to a T.

Track

Depends - am I buying it or playing on it?

Track.

Track!

Track. Those who call it a tract are probably the same people who refer to something unbroken as "in tack".

Both are in usage.

However, tract is more common than track, especially when written. (Did you detect the subtle irony in that?)

Tract should be preferred.

Or any part of the GI tract.

Tract refers to the actual piece of land the course is built on. Yes, it's kinda the same thing, but when you say "your house" you don't mean the land that your house is built on, you mean your...well, your house. The track (course) is built on a tract of land.

OK, so I did a search for web site to see which one is used the most. "Tract" is definitely used more often. Here are the first examples that come up. I couldn't find "track" used on any golf website on the first 2 pages of bing.

http://www.golfnewmexico.com/?content=cour...eaglegolfcourse

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/golf.aspx

http://www.agriaffiliates.com/pdf/Prairie_...Golf_Course.pdf

http://www.anjec.org/PrincetonGCOrd.htm

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Fe...475,108,00.html

http://www.sghgolf.com/usa/las_vegas/golf_courses.html

http://www.syracuse.com/golf/index.ssf?/ba....xml&coll=1

Track makes no sense. It's gotta be tract.

http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/g/bldef_track.htm

Definition: Another term for "course," or, more specifically, the layout or routing of the holes on a golf course. You'll sometimes see "tract" used, but "track" is the correct term (although "tract" might apply to the land the golf course sits on - as in a tract of land).
Examples: That's a tough track. Pebble Beach is a great track. Whoever put this track together knew what they were doing. This track was built on a really nice tract of land.

Good luck trying to find someone to back this up though. Seems to be one man's opinion and nothing more.

http://www.dict.org/bin/Dict

Under track, you find golf course, golf link. Under tract, nothing golf related. Also, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/golf+course . Tract is the land, by definition.

A linguist you shall not be.

Just remember, the audience that you are asking is also the group that frequently does not know(or care about) the difference among:
* there, their, and they're
* its and it's
* your and you're
* affect and effect
and many more!

But, as an MBA who worked for me once said, "It's a doggy dog world out there" (sic). LOL

For what it's worth (LOL again), I overheard a couple of members at a top 10 private club get somewhat upset when a high-profile athlete referred to their venerable golf course as a "great track". LOL a third time!

I've always known it as, "track".

This website is the first reference I've seen to a golf course being, "a great tract".

My other malapropisms I've heard today:

lan line (instead of land line)
digestive track
interac-T (instead of interac - an ATM bank card)

Snide you shall be and have been.

Track. People who would use "tract" are probably the same people whose wives tell them, "I'm arriving!"

Communication skills todays are pretty sad; especially when considering how actual meanings get redefined into slang.

"Track" is a trail AND "Tract" is a section of land. Used correctly they mean different things. I walk on a trail or "track" not typically on a "tract" or a section of land. So as far as I am concerned they are different words; but you could distort them to mean the same if you want.

I'd use the word "track" if I am walking what appears to be a path (or cart path) over a hole or course; where as referring to the tract I played last weekend defines the whole golf course.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=track

Honesty is hardly snide.

track=course
tract=land

Well, I see this settled once and for all!

Next up. Hook and ladder? Or hook and lateral?

Mac. .. youz controversial if anything.. said because of that crazy tiger.