These guidelines are specific to the type of courses that WPOC would have at its events.  The guidelines do not cover more advanced courses that may be offered at meets held by other orienteering clubs.  The more advanced courses do not attract sufficient competitors to warrant having them. Also, some areas we use are too small to have the longer courses.

General Notes

• Use positional controls to get a competitor to a location which will allow you to anticipate the route choice(s) to the following control.  This is useful for avoiding impassable features (lakes, cliffs, restricted areas).
• Put one water stop on a course for each 2.5 km to 3.5 km of course length.  This would mean that White courses do not need a water stop; Yellow courses may need one; and other courses definitely need at least one.
• If the same control is to be used on more than one course, try to make arrival and departure directions different for the different courses.  The GO control at the end is an exception.
• All controls should be hanging about waist high and not obscured by brush or obstacles.  It is fair to hang a control on the far side of a feature for advanced courses but not for beginning courses.
• Try to make sure controls are placed in the exact center of the circled feature on the map.

White Course

Distance:  1.5 km to 2.5 km
Completion time:  30 to 45 minutes
Controls:  5 to 9

• All controls should be accessible using handrails (trails, streams, edges of cleared areas).
• All control features should be on or very close to the handrail.
• Controls should be hanging so that they are visible from an attack point that is on the handrail.
• Try to avoid having controls from other courses where competitors on White can see them.
• No control should require a bearing to find; the first few should be especially easy.
• In general, it is hard to make a White Course that is too easy for first-time orienteers.

Yellow Course

Distance:  2.5 km to 4 km
Completion time:  45 to 60 minutes
Controls:  6 to 10

• All controls should have attack points which are accessible using handrails.
• Control features should be within 100 meters of an attack point.
• Some legs should provide the competitor an opportunity to take a more direct route to the control if s/he chooses.
• Some legs should provide route choices which involve using different handrails.
• All controls should have a catching feature to deal with overshooting.
• There should be at least a few opportunities to use the compass.

Orange Course

Distance:  4 km to 5 km
Completion time:  60 to 80 minutes
Controls:  7 to 12

• Control features should be within 200 meters of an attack point.
• Some legs should require use of a compass bearing, even if it is only for a positional control.
• Large or distinctive features should be chosen for controls.
• All controls must have a catching feature.
• Have a mixture of using handrails and cross-country navigation.

Green Course

Distance:  4.5 km to 6.5 km
Completion time:  50 to 90 minutes
Controls:  8 to 14

• This is an advanced course.
• Route choice should be emphasized - design the legs so the competitor must choose between alternative routes.
• Controls may be placed on large or small features; however, once the competitor reaches the feature, the control must be visible.
• A variety of features should be used.
• Avoid using poorly mapped areas - advanced competitors are use to having the map agree with the terrain in detail.
• Try to make trail running an unappealing route choice.

Score Course

Distance:  Not usually specified (optimum routes should be 5 km to 8 km)
Completion time:  Either 60 minutes or 90 minutes
Controls:  12 to 18

• Make some controls easy and some difficult.
• Avoid placing the controls so that the optimum route is obvious; do not number the controls in a way that suggests a route.
• Have an optimum route in mind so that you can anticipate the direction of approach for each control.
• Place controls in a  widely scattered pattern over the map area being used.