Clubs banning spikeless shoes...

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Wish I'd had a pair of putting slippers. . .

I'm seeing a bright-purple pair....

I'm not seeing anything... they're too bright and too purple.

[Sam Morrow]

I think the clubs banning these shoes are the clubs that are old, blue blood clubs where the pro is a Titleist staffer, thus Foot-Joy.

I would doubt that the Pro has much to do with banning shoes at those clubs.

If the pro has the ear of the right person I could see it.

[Peter Galea]

Our Superintendent doesn't allow bare feet on the greens. His rationale:  a bare heel makes more of a cupped indentation than the ones left by shoes, and indentations made by the ball/toes of a bare foot when a player squats to line up a putt do the same.

Not to mention bare skin exposure to pesticides for several hours.

[Jud_T]

wonder what the pro thinks about these:

[Jim_Kennedy]

I think the clubs banning these shoes are the clubs that are old, blue blood clubs where the pro is a Titleist staffer, thus Foot-Joy.

I would doubt that the Pro has much to do with banning shoes at those clubs.

If the pro has the ear of the right person I could see it.

If a Pro finds that another style of shoe is gaining significant 'traction' he will add that brand to his line-up, not ban it, depending on the size of his shop.
Mine is small, so I only carry the brand that has 55.9% of the market share and an impeccable record of customer satisfaction.  

[Jim_Kennedy]

Our Superintendent doesn't allow bare feet on the greens. His rationale:  a bare heel makes more of a cupped indentation than the ones left by shoes, and indentations made by the ball/toes of a bare foot when a player squats to line up a putt do the same.

Not to mention bare skin exposure to pesticides for several hours.

That too.   

[Lou_Duran]

While in England recently, one of the guys mentioned that some greens had steel spike marks.  Most of the greens were firm and I totally missed noticing them, though I did see several places where some other type of shoe had roughed up the area near the hole.

I still have a couple pair of FJ Classics which, in comparison to my older leather Eccos, are heavier and much less comfortable.  One of the guys I played with said that he converted his Classics to street shoes with some plugs sold in pro shops.

I haven't tried the Trues (sorry Sean and Robb) due to the aesthetics, and the new Eccos don't seem to offer great traction (one of my partners in the Buda wearing them with a lot of movement in his swing- like me- was sliding all over the place).

Question:  what are the best shoes on the market which provide enough traction while being light, comfortable, attractive, and gentle on the greens?  

[Bill_McBride]

Question:  what are the best shoes on the market which provide enough traction while being light, comfortable, attractive, and gentle on the greens?  

I am 100% happy with my True Stealths.    No more Mr. Blister, easy walking, good foundation for the golf swing.  I can't imagine they cause damage to greens anywhere like black widows or other soft spikes.

[Bruce Wellmon]

I can't imagine they cause damage to greens anywhere like black widows or other soft spikes.

I agree. I don't understand this at all.
I never wear anything but my Trues or Freddie Eccos.

[jeffwarne]

Footwear doesn't damage greens-people do.

An unaware boob in bedroom slippers will do more harm to a green than a concientious player in metal spikes who is aware of his feet when he walks and plays the game.

[Bill_McBride]

Footwear doesn't damage greens-people do.

An unaware boob in bedroom slippers will do more harm to a green than a concientious player in metal spikes who is aware of his feet when he walks and plays the game.

I remember following some schlub in metal spikes years ago, tearing up every green in turn, dragging his feet.

[Jud_T]

Let's just start charging greens fees by the pound...

[Mark Provenzano]

Much to the dismay of several of my members (some of them very vocal), I did ban the "Freddie" shoes last winter, and will do so again when the conditions warrant.  

In the Santa Cruz area we play golf all year.  On my push-up greens, mowed to a tenth of an inch, the nubs leave a very noticeable mark which lasts for quite a while. It affects the putting much more than soft spikes (r in a circle) and...don't get me started on those.

The players now understand, and when conditions are right they are allowed to wear them.  
Most golfers have more than one pair of shoes, just like they have more than one putter, or driver, etc.

Just because a manufacturer makes, markets and sells something doesn't mean it works in all situations at all times.

I know Pete is no longer at Pajaro, but when I played there Saturday his comments here (and subsequent debate) came to mind. We had flukey, January-like rain earlier this week in NorCal, but Saturday was picture-perfect, and the course was dry. But I think it would have been a day when the alternate shoes would have/should have been banned. As I walked on the usually pristine greens in my size 14 Trues, I felt like I was damaging them. But I had plenty of company



The greens, always the highlight of a trip to Pajaro Valley, looked like waffle irons, especially near the hole. The marks/depressions just didn't go away, and I could clearly see my footprints on #9 hours later. Those in our group with softspikes didn't leave lasting marks, certainly no marks that affected putting like I was doing.

[Mark McKeever]

I figured they were getting banned because they look awful.   

Mark

[JSlonis]

I figured they were getting banned because they look awful.   

Mark

That would be a legitimate reason

I could definitely see why some clubs would look to ban this type of soled shoe. On greens that are soft on top, the nubs of the Ecco's, etc leaves a lot of indentations all over the place. I own one pair of the Ecco Biom Hybrid shoes and usually wear them to practice in. Last month I wore them during a tournament round on greens that were quite soft. After the first green, I felt guilty about all the marks I was leaving and changed shoes at the turn. My regular softspikes did less damage in this case.

[A.G._Crockett]

This may sound odd, but equating the visibility of a footprint to the damage done by that footprint isn't necessarily valid, is it?

My understanding of why steel spikes have been banned essentially everywhere is because of damage to the root structure of bent grass greens over and above the spike marks that knock putts offline.  Take that out of play for both spikeless and softspikes, and you are left with compaction and disruption of the putting surface as the issues.  Compaction should be a wash, or favor spikeless I would think.

As to the putting surface, in the case of spikeless shoes while the footprint might be more visible at first, the lasting impression should be less that softspikes, shouldn't it?  I know that when I see footprints in a poorly raked bunker, the indentations left by spikeless shoes are easier to deal with than those left by softspikes; they are more regular and less deep.  The idea of spreading the golfer's weight over several dozen points of contact instead of 8 or 9 is that each point of contact will be shallower, which should equate to less long-term damage.

Anecdotally at my club, more guys wear spikeless shoes every day, and the greens just seem to get better and better for it.  But I could be wrong...

[PCCraig]

I've heard grumblings around town here in the Twin Cities about more clubs considering banning these types of shoes under certain conditions due to the severe marks the shoes leave in greens.

[Jason Thurman]

I'm sure I would be a scratch golfer if it weren't for all the footprints on greens I play. Unfortunately, they're a reality and thus I 3-putt 6 times a round.

[Brent Hutto]

Man, if our greens were that soft they'd be un-puttable by 2pm on a weekend. The ball marks alone would make them look like a pineapple, not to mention the footdraggers.

[A.G._Crockett]

I'm sure I would be a scratch golfer if it weren't for all the footprints on greens I play. Unfortunately, they're a reality and thus I 3-putt 6 times a round.

I tell my playing partners to never worry about stepping in my line; the way I read greens their footprints are just as likely to help my putt as hurt it.  By the end of the round, they usually are stepping in my line on purpose.

[Kris Shreiner]

Mike N. and Tim M.,

Nice ones!

I will say I've always felt the whole metal spike ban was bit of a con. It sure saves on the wear and tear of the wooden paths and such, but in wet conditions, especially on poa, the rubber crap abuses the greens something awful.

There are certain conditions where the soft spikes are an advantage. CHOICE should be an option, but that ship has sailed. Pebble Beach still allows metal spikes and I believe some of our overseas clubs have no ban. I'm o.k. with the soft spikes. I do miss that clickity-clickity sound though, save for the occassional tour event where some still wear metal.

Cheers,
Kris