Green Surface
From Tee to Green and all Between: Green Surface
Each month we will go over a separate Obstacle Factor. These are all of the things beyond length of a hole that impact play and difficulty.
There are two factors that involve the Green. The first is Green Target which involves the length of shot and size of green. The other is Green Surface.
Let’s start with a definition: Green Surface is the evaluation of the difficulty of a green from a putting standpoint. Green speed (measured using a Stimpmeter) and contouring are the main factors.
A Stimpmeter is a 3 foot long device, with a notch in the upper end, which is used to measure green speed. It was developed by Edward S. Stimpson in 1935. It was quite innovative at the time and even though the design has recently been updated, the principle of the Stimpmeter still stands true today. A ball is placed in the notch and the stick is slowly raised until the ball rolls out onto the green. The distance of the roll is measured in feet uphill, downhill and flat areas to give an overall speed for the green. Here is a video if you’d like to check out how a Stimpmeter is used:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlULpKsewnE
Here are some examples of Relatively Flat, Moderately Contoured and Highly Contoured greens. If you have ever played Emerald Valley in Creswell, the green on #4 is a great example of a Highly Contoured and very fast green.
Greens that are relatively flat and fairly slow (6’-8’ on the Stimpmeter) are less difficult. Greens that are highly contoured and very fast (11’-12’ on the Stimpeter) are considerably more difficult. A growing trend in the industry is that many courses are slowing down the green speed and it is helping with pace of play.
Please note that the green speeds reported in major tournaments, such as this years US Open at Chambers Bay, are pretty much off the charts! They would be incredibly difficult to maintain for the average golf course and fairly unpleasant to play for the average golfer.
If a green fits the USGA Course Rating status of Tiered, at least 2 feet of rise between 2 plateaus and at least 50% across the green, the Green Surface also gets an added point added for Bogey Golfers. The tier is already factored in Green Target for both the Scratch and Bogey Player.
If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen Yoder, Manager of Handicapping and Course Rating, gretchen@oga.org 503-981-4653, EXT. 228
