Putting surfaces and the use of Perpendicular Ridges/Spines

[Patrick_Mucci]

I recently played a golf course that had a unique feature in a number of the greens.

Perpendicular Ridges/Spines staggered within the flanks of the putting surfaces.

These PR/S served several purposes.

The placed a premium on accuracy with the approach shot, for approaches long or short of the area between the PR/S created very difficult approach putts.

Approaches hit into the PS/R usually backed up leaving the golfer with a LONG approach putt.
Approaches hit long of the rear PS/R left the golfer with a very difficult approach putt, usually long and down hill.

Recoveries were also challenged as recoveries into the PR/S produced similar results.

The neat thing about the PS/R's I observed were their staggered nature, in other words they didn't extend across the entire putting surface, but rather, about 1/3 into the putting surface, and they PR/S on the left, didn't match the PR/S on the right.

These perpendicular Ridges/Spines provided great challenge and FUN.

They created great hole location zones.

What other courses have more than a few greens with this unique feature ?

Why don't we see more of this ?

[David_Tepper]

Royal Dornoch has several greens with this feature. The greens on #3, #4 & #5 are the most obvious ones. 

[Jim Sweeney]

Patrick- The one that immeadiately comes to mind is Somerset Hills #12 or 13? Especiallt tricky if one has to putt diagonally over it as the ball will break in opposite directions within a very short distance.

[Jaeger Kovich]

At the course I work at we have 2 back-to-back holes where the green has features like this. The first, a long par-3 (Reef Hole) with a huge swale that runs nearly horizontal across the putting surface. The next, a double dog-leg par-5 with a perpendicular ridge running back to front through most of the green. The two greens are perfect opposites!

The two holes are some of the best on the course. I think they work great together. The swale on the par 3 provides interesting putts on a very strategic hole with the 3 lines of play. The green on the par-5 can really make the hole play like it has 2 greens. It is always important to know which side of the hole the pin is when deciding whether to lay-up or go for it!

This course also had a 3rd hole with a perpendicular ridge, but the entire green complex was just rebuilt... I like the new green much better!

[Peter Ferlicca]

It is hard to believe by Torrey Pines South has tons of these.  On many of the greens they are split into 3 or 4 different sections with spines running horizontally and vertically.  It makes putting very difficult when the greens get really quick.  If you have to put over the spine you want to give it enough speed to get over it, but then once it gets over it picks up speed and takes off.  Those two BOMB eagle putts Tiger dropped where soooooooo hard you can't even imagine.  I tried them both when I played the week after the US Open and the one on 13 from the back to the front he dropped required such accurate speed.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Royal Dornoch has several greens with this feature. The greens on #3, #4 & #5 are the most obvious ones.  

David,

That's very, very interesting.

The course I was referencing was a Donald Ross golf course.

Jim,

# 13 has that ridge that seems to run through the entire green.

The ridges I was referencing emanated from the flanks of the green and descended into the green, but, only about 1/4 to 1/3 into the green.

[Sean_A]

Patrick

I am not sure if I quite understand what you are saying, but I thought of Yeamans Hall immediately.  There a load of greens with a ridge between the front wing bunkers which essentially create a false front that is hard to detect from the fairway.  The ridges obviously doesn't flow beyond the bunkers, but this would be difficult as the greens are nearly all raised.  Below are a few examples.







Ciao

[Patrick_Mucci]

Sean,

My eyes are getting worse, hence I can't detect the ridges flowing from the perimeter of the green.

The ridges I was referencing are like flanking combs with five tines missing, a tine, then five tines missing, then a tine, etc., etc..

[Jim_Kennedy]

We've got 'em on 4 holes and everybody loves 'em.
It's always a fun ride when you have to cross them on an angle.
They're a cheap way to create interest and the only 'knock' I can see is that they dry out ahead of the rest of the green.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jim Kennedy,

They also seem to be an efficient way to deflect and drain the surface water from the green and immediate green surrounds.

Some of the areas between the teeth of the comb seem unusually dry when it rains.

[Jim_Kennedy]

......unless, as is the case with the our third, the green doesn't have enough pitch. Plus it doesn't get mowed out to its original edges, effectively trapping surface water.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jim,

Interestingly enough, this course recently reclaimed their putting surfaces out to the foot pad.

In addition, there's pretty good pitch, back to front on almost all the greens, and especially the ones with the ridges jutting into 1/3 of the putting surface.