A punchbowl green gets its name from looking like a punch bowl in that it dips in the middle and has raised sides. As such, it tends to funnel shots towards the centre of the green.
The original punchbowl greens were created more by nature than course architects. On the early links courses, where holes tended to be laid lightly on the land using the natural terrain whenever possible, some of the natural hollows already there could provide a large, relatively flat area able to accommodate a green. The topography also helped with course upkeep, as water would run down onto the green keeping it irrigated on those sandy soil courses which drained quickly.
