MDBG has the following entry:
果岭
guǒlǐnggreen (golf) (loanword)
果岭 doesn't really sound anything remotely like green, 岭 especially doesn't match up with the end of green.
How did green become 果岭?
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IMO if you cut off uǒ from guǒlǐng it’s a very close approximation of green (close as you can get for Mandarin). You just have to say guǒlǐng by heavily de-stressing the first syllable. – droooze Jul 8 at 2:13
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Never heard of the word – fefe Jul 8 at 2:15
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@droooze Makes sense. By that estimation something like 格林 would have been much more apt. – user3306356♦ Jul 8 at 3:13
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You're right, but maybe it's a regional phonetic approximation rather than standard Mandarin. – droooze Jul 8 at 3:17
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The word 果岭 means putting green, see here: 果岭, a term in golf. – 賈可 Jacky Aug 13 at 14:16
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Like you said in the comment, something like 格林 indeed would have been a better phonetic approximation. But the translation (even by sound) should also consider its meaning if possible. 岭 means hill or mountain in Chinese. And since a golf course resembles a hill for having ups and downs, 岭 would be more approriate to describe such an area. However I think 果 is purely phonetic.
