Well Struck Shots

[Dan_Lucas]

Just read this quote in my GCSAA News Weekly.

"It's a constant battle to convince Americans that not every shot has to hold the green. It has to be a well-struck shot. It's not a matter of water; it's a matter of hitting the right shot."

Steve Cadenelli, CGCS at Cape Cod National G.C.

It says a lot. Maybe the word is spreading. Go Steve!

[Kyle Harris]

Linc Roden and I had a brief chat yesterday while he was playing his "Evens vs. Odds" numbered ball match on the C-nine.

He categorized an arbitrary continuum of green maintenance that went as follows (for a well-struck shot):

Chocolate Pudding
Deep Ballmark
Shallow Ballmark
Skidmark

He feels the ideal for the well-struck shot is the latter. Interestingly, he commented that the ball should also check up after the skidmark. That would mean that greens had some grain or were not lightning fast.

[Joe Hancock]

But, but, but....

Do all well-struck shots come to a green airborn?? Maybe the run-up is extinct after all.

Dan,

I'm thinking that the 4th at Kingsley would hold a poorly struck shot as well as a well struck shot. I bet I could skull a sand wedge and have it somewhere in the back bowl of that green.

I need to think about this some more.....

Joe

[Dan_Lucas]

Joe

There is a difference between "staying on" an 11,000 sq. ft. bowl green and greens that "hold" a poorly struck shot.

I can think of a few greens here where you would not be as happy with that skulled wedge.

[John Kirk]

But, but, but....

Do all well-struck shots come to a green airborn?? Maybe the run-up is extinct after all.

Dan,

I'm thinking that the 4th at Kingsley would hold a poorly struck shot as well as a well struck shot. I bet I could skull a sand wedge and have it somewhere in the back bowl of that green.

I need to think about this some more.....

Joe

Now let's see how close you can get your first putt to that front left pin position.  That 4th hole at Kingsley is underrated in comparison to some of the other better known holes out there.

OK, good 5.  Too bad you skulled your second shot.

[Joe Hancock]

Dan,

Of course you can think of my skulled wedge shots in other situations...you've witnessed enough of them!

What about the run-up? The greens and conditioning that promote that game is in a diiferent context of this thread I presume?

BTW....it's spring, we had a bunch of rain early this morning....and the golfers are only leaving skid marks here. You'd be proud.

Joe

[Joe Hancock]

But, but, but....

Do all well-struck shots come to a green airborn?? Maybe the run-up is extinct after all.

Dan,

I'm thinking that the 4th at Kingsley would hold a poorly struck shot as well as a well struck shot. I bet I could skull a sand wedge and have it somewhere in the back bowl of that green.

I need to think about this some more.....

Joe

Now let's see how close you can get your first putt to that front left pin position.  That 4th hole at Kingsley is underrated in comparison to some of the other better known holes out there.

OK, good 5.  Too bad you skulled your second shot.

Now off to #5 for my second 5 in a row.....

Joe

[Dan_Lucas]

When the greens are at "skid mark" level the best you can do usually is to stop the ball 10-20' from where it hits. This means in order to get close to any front pins you must hit a run-up shot or putt back at it from the middle of the green.

[Ken Fry]

Dan & Joe,

I'm on the other side of the business than you boys but it pains me to hear "Mr. Havekamp" complain his #3 wood out of the rough from 200 wouldn't hold the greens (this is a true story from my time at The Warren Course at Notre Dame.)  The greens are kept firm for team tournaments.  The Catch-22 exists when the better players (minority) understand the risk-reward scenario with firm greens but "challenged" players (the majority and therefore the folks helping pay most of the bills) have little understanding except they now have a difficult chip shot left.

"It's a constant battle to convince Americans that not every shot has to hold the green."  Isn't this another example of entitlements players have come to expect along the same line as perfect bounces?

Ken

[Kyle Harris]

When the greens are at "skid mark" level the best you can do usually is to stop the ball 10-20' from where it hits. This means in order to get close to any front pins you must hit a run-up shot or putt back at it from the middle of the green.

True.

[RJ_Daley]

Hmmm, well stuck shot, leave skid mark, firm green....

It is possible to leave a slight dimple in a green if one hits a towering wedge-9I into greens at WH, when she plays firm.  Where is that on the continuum of firm?

Seriously, the surrounds measure of firmness and HOC are also an interesting related factor to me.  I'd love to see KC when Dan has it just the way he wants it.

[Steve Curry]

Dan,

I saw that quote too, fantastic!  It drives me crazy listening to golfers talk of perfect greens "soft and holding".

Steve