With the new strains of grass and double cutting, how much grain is there really?
There's some validity in that question, but I'd guess that 99 percent of golfers almost never play on a course with those new strains of grass, or on double-cut greens.
On of the great tragedies that has been produced by the "improvements" in golf course maintenance is the attempted elimination of grain.
Once a year I play a tournament on a course that has small greens and a very limited budget. Nevertheless, the super there produces conditions that are wonderful to play on.
He does NOT, however, do anything to eliminate grain. I talked to him this fall, while I was there, and he said that on 16 of his greens, any attempt to do a Stimp reading results in the ball rolling off the green. And he's not cutting them at .100".
I would guess that if you could somehow temporarily make them dead level, there'd still be a several-foot difference between into the grain and with the grain.
It adds a strategic and skill element to the course that no other cost-saving technique could impart.
By simply not worrying about the grain, this course has saved significant maintenance costs, and and forced golfer to think about every approach shot, chip and putt.
I love the place, because it gives me an edge over "better" golfers who don't pay attention and just hit shots.
If we'd simply tell golfers that reading grain was a required skill like hitting 3/4 wedges, reading slope, and hitting a driver in play, the game would be better for it.
Ken