what makes the golf green fast or slow

What affects green speed in golf?

The second major component affecting green speed is smoothness. A smooth surface generates less friction, and thus, causes less resistance to ball roll. On a tough green, the friction created quickly reduces speed. Although the Stimpmeter is a much maligned device, used properly it can be a helpful tool in keeping green speeds constant.

How do I know if my greens are fast or slow?

Make several putts with 5-6 balls then count out how far the ball actually rolls out at this given golf course. If it rolls out nine paces or eight paces the greens are slow to very slow. Should it roll out 11 or 12 paces the greens are quick. If it rolls out 10 paces the greens are very similar to your home golf course.

What makes a good golf green?

In golf, successfully managed greens are often associated with speed. Speed alone, however, does not symbolize a good or healthy golf green. Several components are essential to an ideal putting surface and influence green speed. Resiliency, uniformity, smoothness, and firmness contribute to overall green speed.

What affects the speed of a golf ball?

The second major component affecting green speed is smoothness. A smooth surface generates less friction, and thus, causes less resistance to ball roll. On a tough green, the friction created quickly reduces speed.

What determines green speed in golf?

A golf course's superintendent or tournament officials measure green speed by rolling balls down the Stimpmeter onto a flat part of a green. How far the balls roll determines the stimp rating. If a ball rolls 11 feet after leaving the ramp, that green is stimping at 11. Yes, it really is that simple.

Do golf greens get faster?

Green Speeds Fluctuate Maintaining the same green speed throughout the year is impossible, and letting a target number dictate management practices is a recipe for damaged greens and undesirable playing conditions.

Why are PGA greens so fast?

On the PGA Tour circuit, green speeds also have become more consistent from one course to the next. The result is better ball roll and a more predictable playing surface. That means golfers can make a more uniform putting stroke, with fewer adjustments for surface conditions.

What does slow greens mean in golf?

With slower greens, you want to hit a more aggressive putt, which will reduce the amount of break overall. If you don't play slow greens often, it's important to remind yourself this throughout the round. Play less break and hit putts more aggressively so that you give yourself a better chance of making putts.

How do you tell if greens are fast or slow?

Here is where I find out the green speeds – I pace off how far the balls rolled. When the greens are slow, I will only pace off 9 – 10 steps. Normally I pace off 13 – 18 steps, but I have been on greens where I have paced off 27 steps (Chicago Golf Club for those who are wondering).

Does rain make putting greens faster or slower?

Rain makes greens slower than normal as the moisture on the ground and the ball slows it down. In instances of rain over a number of days greenkeepers will likely not be able to mow greens as normal meaning the grass will be longer and even slower. Putts on wet greens also take less break.

How fast are Augusta National greens?

The unofficial rating of the golf course was determined to be 78.1 with an average greens speed of 12', peaking at 15'. The large variance in greens speed is to protect the golfers from the dramatic slopes and contours.

Is 12 on Stimpmeter fast?

What is fast on the stimpmeter? Fast or slow is arbitrary but in general, anything over an 11 is considered fast amongst most golfers. Some of the fastest green readings are around 14 or 15 (like Augusta National) and are nearly impossible to putt on for most amateur golfers as the golf ball rolls forever.

What speed are most greens?

A green speed of 7 is generally considered very slow and is slower than a green speed of 9 (a moderate speed). A stimp rating of 13 or 14 is considered lightning-fast. Most PGA Tour venues have green speeds of around 12.

What affects green speed?

Resiliency, uniformity, smoothness, and firmness contribute to overall green speed. Resiliency is the capacity of the turf to absorb shock and affects the ability of a putting green to hold a properly struck golf shot. Uniformity implies that each green on a course and all areas of each green putt the same.

Are fast greens harder?

Despite the fact that playing on fast greens tends to be harder than playing on slow greens, most players talk in affectionate terms when discussing a course with quick greens. Of course, if you are going to have a good time on a course with speedy putting surfaces, you need to be ready for the challenge.

What is a fast green?

Fast Green FCF, also called Food green 3, FD&C Green No. 3, Green 1724, Solid Green FCF, and C.I. 42053, is a turquoise triarylmethane food dye.

Why is it important to mowing greens?

Regular mowing is required to maintain green speed. If greens remain wet for prolonged periods due to poor drainage and/or sheltered position and shade , then the surfaces will not be suitable for mowing for a large percentage of the autumn to spring period.

Why is a sward better for golf?

High growth and density creates more friction or drag on the ball, slowing it down. A slow growing, lower density sward is preferable and will dry out more readily , so gaining a firmer, drier surface more rapidly after rainfall.

How many greens should I clip in a triple box?

You want to aim for a clipping rate of around one to one and a half empties of triple mower boxes from 19 greens (or one empty of hand mower every five to six greens) throughout the growing season to achieve good pace. However, at times, wet and warm weather will inevitably create undesirable sward density and growth.

What grasses produce smooth green surfaces?

Fescue grasses, with their slow growth and needle-like rolled leaves, naturally produce a fine textured and unproductive sward. Which is why this grass species naturally produces surfaces of appropriate green speed and smoothness/trueness, without the need for intensive maintenance and high inputs.

Is green speed accurate?

Be aware that although green speed is seemingly easy to measure, it can also be notoriously inaccurate. Accuracy will depend on the skill of the user, using a recognised standard operating method, with suitable Stimpmeter spots that should be used each repetition and in calm weather conditions (wind speed no more than 10 mph).

How to measure golf green speed?

The distance the ball rolls is measured which can then give an assessment of the current speed of the green.

What is the USGA green speed?

The USGA guidelines set out for green speeds are achievable with good management techniques and if the course manager is not pressurised to significantly reduce heights of cut. The Stimp meter can be used to good effect to measure consistency from one green to the other not to see how fast the greens can get up to.

What type of grass is used in golf greens?

The majority of golf course greens in the UK are composed of a mixture of grasses ranging from colonial Bent grass ( Agrostis sp .), Fescue ( Festuca sp .) and Annual Meadow Grass ( Poa annua ). The Bent and the Fescue grasses are the desirable species, as they provide the best year round surfaces to putt on. However, Annual Meadow Grass is a ubiquitous species and is generally found in most fine turf situations. This species grows in clumps and patches and is susceptible to disease attack and is generally considered to produce poorer greens.

Can rolling grass help with green speed?

However, occasional light rolling can help to increase green speed without the need to lower grass cutting heights.

Is fast greens good?

Golf green speed is probably one of the most contentious issues on the golf course, and one which can give the course manager the biggest headache. Fast greens are sometimes perceived to be good greens but this is not necessarily the case. This theory is probably partly due to televised or tournament golf and in particular The US Masters!

What are the best ways to maintain fast greens?

While golfers hear a lot of discussion about courses with fast greens, they don’t hear as much about all that goes into providing those conditions. Lower mowing heights, regular topdressing, verticutting and hand watering are just some of the practices involved in maintaining faster greens. In addition, courses that maintain faster greens typically invest heavily in improving putting green growing environments by removing trees and enhancing drainage. The investments required on a daily and yearly basis to deliver faster green speeds are substantial, and beyond the budget of most golf courses.

What is the most important thing to know about green speed measurements?

One of the most important things to know about green speed measurements is that they should not be used to compare one golf course with another. A green speed that is perfect for one course could be way too fast for a course down the road that has steeper green contours or golfers with different skill levels. There are simply too many variables involved to make reasonable comparisons.

What is putting green?

Putting greens are comprised of living plants that change and perform differently from season to season and even day to day. Temperatures, humidity, rainfall and routine maintenance practices all influence daily green speed. Maintaining the same green speed throughout the year is impossible, and letting a target number dictate management practices is a recipe for damaged greens and undesirable playing conditions.

lastings

I'm not sure I agree. It's differences in green speeds that affects people more.

lastings

ok, so just so I am clear here. The argument that is being presented is that assuming both are well groomed and roll true, faster greens do not typically cause more putting strokes than slower greens.

lastings

That's not really how that works. Slower greens have longer blades of grass, so they will have more irregularity.

lastings

I think this would be a pretty good test for an avid game golf user (or, group of users). note green speeds for every round played and see what the average strokes gained is at different speeds.

lastings

I suggest you do more than "a quick google search." That quickie statistical thing Pete Sanders did is not the studies I've referred to. That study is basically what happens when you show up and your course has faster greens that day, often because of a tournament.

lastings

I will agree that article I posted is quite flawed. I will look for something better.

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Day 112: Covid-19 day 6/7 drills, and then went inside for more backswing work with LVP camera.

How far can you see the break of a green?

You can often see the contour of the green as you’re approaching it from a distance of 100 yards and in.

Is pace important on the PGA Tour?

Getting your pace right is very important and also can prove to be a bit difficult. Watching the pros on the PGA Tour. It’s amazing when you think that from week to week they’re playing on entirely different golf courses. The speeds of the greens can and will be very subtly different from course to course. The PGA Tour Stars seem to adjust to this with relative ease.

What makes a greens putt faster?

Strong winds. Unlike the first two points on our list, wind is one weather condition that will actually serve to speed up the greens. If a strong wind kicks up during your round, moisture is going to be pulled out of the putting surfaces – and your putts will become faster as a result.

How to determine green speed?

To come to a final determination on green speed, add up these numbers and divide by six. This number, stated in feet, is the speed of the green according to the Stimpmeter. You will often hear golfers refer to green speeds by just stating a single number, such as when somebody says the greens are 'running at a 10'.

How to start a golf game?

To start, take your putter and three golf balls from the bag. Find a long stretch of open green and hit some long putts from one side of the green to the other. It is typical for most golfers to start out with short putts, but you will get far more benefit from rolling long putts at this point.

How far should you drop your golf balls from the cup?

Finally, it is time to hit some short putts. Drop your golf balls at around 3'-4' from the cup and knock them in one at a time. Short putts don't change much based on the speed of the greens, but you do need to be careful not to be too aggressive when the greens are fast.

How to mark a starting point on a putting green?

One easy way to mark your starting point is by placing a tee into the putting surface. Place the ball into the notch in the Stimpmeter, and raise the device slowly until the ball falls out of the notch and rolls away.

How high are the greens in the PGA Tour?

For comparison's sake, the greens on a typical public golf course “Stimp” at about 8 – 8.5”. On the PGA Tour, greens are routinely 11' – 12', and sometimes 14' or higher for the Masters, U.S. Open and a few other events.

Why is my green sitting on a perch fast?

On the other hand, a green which is sitting up on a perch will usually be fast due to a lack of water and the drying effects of the wind.

Stickney: The only 2 ways to hit a golf ball father

If I had a dollar for every time someone walked into my Academy (myself included!) and asked how to hit it farther I’d own a bank by now. Golf course agronomy has evolved and the rock-hard fairways of yesterday are gone and have been replaced by soft conditions that require more and more carry off the tee.

Stickney: The evolution of necessary technology in golf instruction

Over time technology has improved so that we (as teachers) can see and understand motion and forces in action during the swing.

The Wedge Guy: You can change your stripes

Over my 40-plus years in the golf industry and a lifetime in the game, I have had the opportunity to observe thousands of recreational golfers of all skill levels. I believe the common thread between all of us – from scratch player to high-handicapper – is that we all would like to get better.