Has the demand for fast greens taken the fun out of greens?

[Aaron McMaster]

At clubs where the tour has returned to play each year, since the TruFirm tool came out, there have been years where the greens were firmer due to drier weather conditions in the days leading up to the event. When comparing all the records that were kept on firmness, pin placements and stimpmeter speed readings, the firmness factor had the greatest overall effect on scoring. Speed just does not effect the touring pro's score like it does the average golfer. Which is why I suggest that clubs should not be too hasty to rebuild greens specifically for making them faster for hosting Tour events. Fast greens will not protect par, but firm greens can.

The PGA Tour Course Conditioning Guidelines read as follows:

“In general most Superintendents will be asked to provide consistent greenspeeds in the range of 9½ to 11 feet as measured by a USGA Stimpmeter by the end of Advance Week.  This allows the PGA TOUR Rules Official to make a final determination on a tournament speed which can be adjusted up or down as required.  Arbitrary and excessive greenspeeds can eliminate prime hole locations for the tournament, and this must be avoided.  The Stimpmeter will be used frequently prior to and during the tournament to check the overall pace and consistency of all greens.  It is essential that the prescribed greenspeed be maintained as consistently as possible during Tournament Week.  Situations where the greenspeed dramatically increases or decreases in speed as the tournament progresses must be avoided. Firm, but not overly hard greens are the goal for tournament play.  [emphasis mine] This may require hand watering prior to and during the event.  Key staff members should be trained to recognize areas of the greens that dry out and require supplemental irrigation.  The use of two SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES FIELD SCOUT TDR 300 Soil Moisture Meters and possibly a LANG PENETROMETER can assist the staff in determining how much water to apply.  If conditions are extremely dry, it will probably be necessary to do some overhead watering with the automatic system during Tournament Week.  This will help maintain a consistent baseline of moisture in the rootzone.  The PGA TOUR Agronomist will work with the Superintendent to determine the best combination of both hand and automatic watering.”

Good stuff Brad.

[Bradley Anderson]

Aaron,

I just checked my notes from a talk that was given by the PGA Tour Agronomist last fall at Medinah and he indicated that:

- fast greens make a course easier because now we have to use flat and easy pin positions
- at repeat events scores do not go up or down per speed but they do per firmness
- the relationship between dry and hard, or wet and soft is not always correlated (this is because the faster you put water on a green the softer it gets)

[Aaron McMaster]

Aaron,

I just checked my notes from a talk that was given by the PGA Tour Agronomist last fall at Medinah and he indicated that:

- fast greens make a course easier because now we have to use flat and easy pin positions
- at repeat events scores do not go up or down per speed but they do per firmness
- the relationship between dry and hard, or wet and soft is not always correlated (this is because the faster you put water on a green the softer it gets)

Brad I agree with your first two points but watching the TruFirm device the only thing that changes the reading is water.  It didn't matter how the water was applied but as soon as any moisture was added to the system the green became less firm.

[Bradley Anderson]

Aaron,

As I recall he indicated that applying water to the soil with a hose and nozzle, over say a 10 minute period, does less to compromise firmness than overhead sprinklers applying the the equivalent volume of water in 3 minutes. Presumably this is because the water has more time to penetrate.

[Ben Sims]

Aaron,

As I recall he indicated that applying water to the soil with a hose and nozzle, over say a 10 minute period, does less to compromise firmness than overhead sprinklers applying the the equivalent volume of water in 3 minutes. Presumably this is because the water has more time to penetrate.

Absolutely true, but it's also dependent on perc rate.  10 minutes vs. 3 minutes of same quantity won't mean a thing if the soil doesn't have enough macro pores.  Hand watering is the secret of the golf courses that have the time and manpower to do it.  Green + firm with anything over 10ft just isn't realistic for most courses.  So they concede firm conditions in order to get green and fast, which makes most recreational golfers happy.

[Aaron McMaster]

Aaron,

As I recall he indicated that applying water to the soil with a hose and nozzle, over say a 10 minute period, does less to compromise firmness than overhead sprinklers applying the the equivalent volume of water in 3 minutes. Presumably this is because the water has more time to penetrate.

Absolutely true, but it's also dependent on perc rate.  10 minutes vs. 3 minutes of same quantity won't mean a thing if the soil doesn't have enough macro pores.  Hand watering is the secret of the golf courses that have the time and manpower to do it.  Green + firm with anything over 10ft just isn't realistic for most courses.  So they concede firm conditions in order to get green and fast, which makes most recreational golfers happy.

it depends on what level of consistency your attempting to reach.  All I was saying is moisture content is the total driving force of firmness.  I saw the data from the US Womens Open at Interlachen and the back nine was consistently softer than the front.  When they watched the two employees hand water greens the guy on the front was holding a hose perpendicular to the ground and going back and forth across the green once.  The guy on the back was hold his nozzle down and moving quickly across the green going back and forth once.  The total difference in water was very small.  However, the TruFirm was pouring out data showing the back nine softer than the front.  Now can an average golfer tell the difference probably not but the tour players could. 

[Bradley Anderson]

Brad - I went to Culver, was on the golf team for four years and played the Academy course hundreds of times. An old Langford-Moreau course that I hope will be restored someday. The original plan was for 36 holes back in the 20's. I've been trying to track down the drawings. I'm not sure they have survived.

But to your post quoted above - fascinating. Though I'm not as sure as you are about what the survey proves. Could the fact that firmness correlates better than speed with higher scoring be simply a function of Tour players' unfamiliarity with playing firm greens?

Second, firmness and speed are not independent variables. At some point slow, hairy greens affect the roll that even a firm green gives you, no? Which is to say that the value of the PGA survey depends on green speeds being held more or less constant over the courses surveyed.

I would love to see the details of the survey. I am raising questions about it because someone will raise the similar objections at some point along the way and I hope there are good answers to those questions.

I would like to think that firmness matters more than speed. Because with firm greens the architecture of the hole matters more. Approaching a green from a wrong angle can mean death with firm greens. Defending par with fast but softer greens has the opposite effect. It diminishes the importance of architectural features.

Bob   
 

Bob, My son goes to Grace College in Winona Lake and we drive by Culver on the way to his school so this time we stopped to play it. I met the golf coach and he indicated that they are talking to Bobby Weed about restoring it. All of the features are there untouched. I honestly think it could be amazing if it were restored properly. Thats pretty cool that you were able to play there. And the school looks like a great institution.

[BCrosby]

Brad -

I have great affection for the Culver course. At some point early in my teenage years it was deemed best that I attend military school. Culver is in the middle of nowhere, so there were few opportunities for any serious mischief. It has/had a wonderful academic faculty who inspired me to read books. What kept me sane, however, was the little nine hole golf course.

I played at every opportunity, which at a military school didn't come around as often as I would have liked. To get there from the campus you hiked along one side of Lake Maxinkuckee then up a narrow path through a thick woods. When you emerged from the woods, crossed a road and climbed a steep embankment, the course suddenly appeared and all was right with the world.

I'm happy to hear the course is holding its own. I saw it last about 15 years ago and it looked a little dog-eared. I am aware of the restoration efforts, but I'm not sure where they stand. I hope they find the L/M drawings and have the resources to build another nine from their plans.

Is Tony Mayfield still the golf coach? If so, give him my best.

Bob