Green Speed during design

[Phil Lipper]

When I was playing recently someone commented these greens werent designed to be played at this speed. That comment got me wondering when a green is designed does the architect have a green speed in mind and do you recommend a speed to the club?

[Tom_Doak]

We generally do have conversations with our clients and with the superintendent about green speed, and we try to design with their goals in mind.  But, we have no control over the day-to-day setup once the course opens.  That's why many architects build boring greens -- to protect themselves from the possibility of an over-the-top setup that makes the course (and the guy with his name on it) look bad.

[Peter Pallotta]

Reminds me of a filmmaker who started saying, after comments at the rough cut screening were unfavourable, that he had actually designed the film to be shown on television (instead of for theatrical release), and thus factored in the small screen and inevitable commercial breaks that came with that medium. We all nodded politely. The film didn't work well either in theatres or on television.

Peter