Grain...

[Phil_the_Author]

I recently watched a player miss a number of putts that broke far more than he thought. Each time it occurred he said, "I forgot about the grain..."

It got me thinking, "What is the reality of grain on greens?"

How would you define it? What brings it out on one course rather than another that uses the same grass in the same locale?

As an architect, how does the idea of "grain on the putting surfaces" factor into the way you design them?

[PCCraig]

All I know is it really stinks as I never putted well on Bermuda after growing up on Bent greens with no grain.

As far as I know grain is how the blades of grass react to certain conditions, such as the location of the sun, nearby water, and green slope. When you are putting into the grain the grass looks darker and the putt is slower. Putting with the grain means the grass looks lighter and shined....I think?!?! 

[Joe Hancock]

A recent discussion on the matter:



http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,37999.0.html


Joe

[cary lichtenstein]

Grain to me is a lot of fun, at least it was until they cut the greens too tight.

At Pebble, nothing was a Gimme. I remember missing a tap in and my partner yelling at me, "you frigging idiot, there are no tap in at Pebble"

Also at Cog Hill, the grain was brutal on 13, 14, 16 18. It made for a whole other game.

At the first hole at Pebble, I always wanted to be right of the hole so I could chip or putt into the grain. I learnt that lesson 40 years ago when a soft chip shot went off the green fromt he left side.

[Drew Standley]

Grain is a way of life here in Southeast Texas.  I read grain into every putt and we Bermuda-boys get pretty good at it.  Get me on bent grass and 4-putts aren't out of the question. 

[Sam Maryland]

Cary,

I completely agree, can be a lot of fun.  Bay Hill used to have a good amount of grain and even very good (make that exceptional) players were confounded without some good advice.  I can remember reading putts for a guy who was not a local but routinely played the US Am and to his credit he trusted me...shot about 5-under and at the end of the day said "you read every one perfect" - which from a plyer of his calibre meant a lot (and he was baffled by a lot of the reads).

It's really a simple concept if you understand how the grass grows...

[Ed Oden]

I had a different kind of grain experience last week.  From a spot about 25 yards short of a green, I tried to play a low pitch into a noticeable rise in the green thinking my ball would check near the pin which was a few paces beyond the ridge.  I thought I hit a pretty good shot and was surprised when my ball kept on trucking and rolled off the back of the green.  When I walked up I realized there was no ridge.  Rather, it was all just an illusion created by a stripe of dark against the grain grass giving the appearance of a sharp rise that didn't exist.  The lighter grass beyond which looked like a plateau was actually a shiny with the grain patch.  The green itself was remarkably flat.  Do architects ever use this effect as an intentional design deception?

Ed

[JESII]

I think of grain on greens as the putting (and chipping) equivalent to playing shots in windy conditions...who of the grain haters would also say they think wind is undesireable?

[Ken Moum]

I think of grain on greens as the putting (and chipping) equivalent to playing shots in windy conditions...who of the grain haters would also say they think wind is undesireable?

That's a perfect sentiment.

I grew up on a little nine-holer in northern Minnesota, and recall having some putts on those greens that were so fast you could barely keep the ball on the putting surface. In recent years I have had experienced supers tell me there's no possibility that those greens could have been that fast--which is probably true. It was, after all, 40+ years ago.

But now I realize that what I remember is the grain. On bentgrass, grass tends to lay down with the water flow, and those greens all had enough slope that there would have been some grain to accentuate the speed of downhill putts.

From a strategic golf standpoint, it made it even more important than usual to be below the hole. It also meant that uphill putts required a firm, accurate stroke.

It's not accident that Tom Watson never won in Florida until late in his career, or that John Huston never won on bentgrass.

K

[TEPaul]

Maybe I missed it on this thread but here's a pretty interesting question on the subject of grain-----is it generally considered to be agronomically healthier for grass/turf on greens if there's more grain rather than less or almost none?

[Joe Hancock]

Maybe I missed it on this thread but here's a pretty interesting question on the subject of grain-----is it generally considered to be agronomically healthier for grass/turf on greens if there's more grain rather than less or almost none?

TEPaul,

I would presume that a "grainy" green might have more opportunity to be healthy. The blade is laying over....probably more leaf tissue to absorb sunlight, aiding in food generation and utilization...probably better rooting as well.

Joe