Most Deceptive Greens

[Carl Nichols]

What course have you played that has the most deceptive greens, by which I mean those where what you thought were the slopes/breaks/contours were much different than the actual ones?  I've been fortunate enough to play Bald Peak Colony Club in New Hampshire several times over the last few years, and think the greens there might be some of the most difficult to read I've experienced.  Several times I had putts moving left when it should've been right, and vice versa, and also had downhill putts that looked uphill, and vice versa. I think part of what creates the deception has to do with the presence of mountains and a lake, and how Ross designed the greens in light of those natural features.  

[Bill_McBride]

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.   The influence of the steep mountain behind the course is so powerful that putts that look downhill may be steeply uphill, and putts you think are reasonably straight will break sharply away from the mountain.  Until you figure that out, you haven't got a chance!

[Joe Bausch]

I'd like to tackle the greens at the Pete Dye Golf Club for a 2nd time.  On my first visit I could not read a putt correctly to save my life.  And with some modesty I consider myself a very good reader of greens.  But not this day.

[Carl Nichols]

Joe:
What do you think caused the difficulty in reading the greens?  I know I've seen pictures of the course, but I can't recall whether there are mountains right around PDGC.  

[Joe Bausch]

Joe:
What do you think caused the difficulty in reading the greens?  I know I've seen pictures of the course, but I can't recall whether there are mountains right around PDGC.  

It is quite hilly around PDGC for sure.

[Tim Gavrich]

As many bold contours as they have, it's the subtle aspects of the putting surfaces at Yale that I've always found perplexing. I have misread huge numbers of putts each time I've had the pleasure of playing the course.

[Greg Chambers]

For me, easily the most deceptive greens I've played are at Rustic Canyon.

[Bill_McBride]

For me, easily the most deceptive greens I've played are at Rustic Canyon.

Do you think that's because of the canyon effect, much like the mountain effect at Broadmoor?    I don't recall the Rustic greens, with a few exceptions like #12 and 15, as other than pretty flat.  

Not counting the left side of 5.  

[mike_beene]

Agree with Bill .The Broadmoor . Even the practice green will leave you confused.

[Nigel Islam]

Lookout Mountain for me. I have never misread that many putts in one round that badly.

[Greg Chambers]

For me, easily the most deceptive greens I've played are at Rustic Canyon.

Do you think that's because of the canyon effect, much like the mountain effect at Broadmoor?    I don't recall the Rustic greens, with a few exceptions like #12 and 15, as other than pretty flat.  

Not counting the left side of 5.  

Absolutely.  Even knowing the canyon will affect a putt, it's impossible to figure out how much.  

[Neil White]

Beau Desert.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Do you all think this is a good thing, a bad thing or a bit of both?

Ally

[Scott Warren]

The Valley Club, no question.

So many slopes that are so much stronger than they look, the knob in the middle of #7 green stands out in my memory, as does the long slope of the 2nd green.

Was lucky I hit a bunch close that day, because if it wasn't a one-putt, it was almost always a three-jag!

[jonathan_becker]

The Valley Club, no question.

For sure.  I remember having more than a couple putts that were downhill and I rolled them thinking they were uphill.  Oops

[Mark Pritchett]

Lookout Mountain for me. I have never misread that many putts in one round that badly.

Agreed, first course that came to mind when I read the thread title. 

The greens at Lookout Mountain do not necessarily look like they are crazy, but they seem to move in ways that really fool your perception. 

[Mark McKeever]

Huntington Valley has some real head scratcher greens.  There were a few where I would see the line from another putt and still not believe it.

Mark

[Mike Schott]

For me, easily the most deceptive greens I've played are at Rustic Canyon.

My first thought as well. Even though you know the holes headed down the canyon slope that way, it's hard to see and you are easily deceived.

Another course with greens that deceive are Greg Norman's Wente Vineyards course.

[Sean_A]

Beau Desert.

Si.  Just played there today with two newbies.  They were all over the place with the flatstick.

Ciao

[Lester George]

Lookout Mountain, hands down. 

Lester

[Garland Bayley]

I think most times when a green is benched into a hillside the slopes will be deceptive, because you are confused by the surrounding lay of the land. I had guests at my home club yesterday, one of whom complained about putts breaking uphill, and being generally deceived by the greens. Perhaps when you have a course on a small bit of somewhat hilly real estate, the architect is forced to bench some greens into hills, thereby causing this effect. When you have a large bit of real estate in which you can go out and select natural green sites, then perhaps you won't find such an effect.

[archie_struthers]

 

Stonewall Olde were really tricky , even for a + caddy !

[Matthew Petersen]

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.   The influence of the steep mountain behind the course is so powerful that putts that look downhill may be steeply uphill, and putts you think are reasonably straight will break sharply away from the mountain.  Until you figure that out, you haven't got a chance!

For the same reason, what comes to mind for me is a place just up the road a bit ... Eisenhower at the USAFA. Everything breaks away from Pikes Peak. But how much?

[Scott Szabo]

I'll second the Eisenhower course. 

[Doug Wright]

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.   The influence of the steep mountain behind the course is so powerful that putts that look downhill may be steeply uphill, and putts you think are reasonably straight will break sharply away from the mountain.  Until you figure that out, you haven't got a chance!

Certainly the most deceptive greens Ive encountered. The AFA courses and others along the Colorado Front Range foothills like Hiwan and Rolling Hills are tough too, but for some reason the Broadmoor greens are totally confounding to me even though I've played them many times. I've been impressed by the ability of the men (Senior Open) and women (US Women's Open) to figure out those greens (somewhat) in a short time when they play the tourmanents there.