Aprons to Greens

[Duncan Cheslett]

What is the primary function of an apron in front of a green?

After transforming our greens into superb putting surfaces over the last three years, our newish greenkeeper has declared that he intends to turn his attention to the aprons, which in the past have been rather ill-defined.

This is already causing some controversy among certain long-standing low handicappers, particularly with regard to our elevated greens, as they object to a high pitch landing slightly short of the green running off. They reason that this is an 'unfair' punishment for a very nearly good shot. They want aprons cut a little higher so that a ball will be held there.

Others contend that a firm and fast apron to an elevated green provides options - specifically the choice of running a low shot up onto the green. This view is met with hoots of derision from the former group who love their 'dialled in ' distances to the pin.

You can probably guess where my allegiances lie.

What do others think?

[Sean_A]

In the UK, surely the main aims of an "apron" are


1. To roughly match the green in terms of firmness


2. Highlight greenside features in a way which maximizes their impact


3. Provide a decent surface and location which can still utilize some greenside features should temporaries be required


Ciao

[Adrian_Stiff]

It is a strong promoter of the ground game. We mow as low as 8mm, if you have long grass at say semi rough height it takes away an option of how to play the hole.

[Mark Pearce]

Very oddly the green keeper at The Northumberland has achieved firm greens and reasonably firm fairways but aims for soft aprons.  An utterly absurd maintainance set up which takes away from the ground game.  For me, aprons are a transition from fairway to green and should be firmer and faster than the main fairways but not quite as firm or fast as the greens.

[Carl Rogers]

The course I know best, Riverfront, an early TD &Renaissance course, has what many would not care for, fairly thick and grainy aprons.  The ground game does not begin until the ball is less than 1 foot from the green.  The second bounce always eats the momentum of the ball and throws it off course.  Short chip shots must be played with a high lofted club.
I see this as a cost of maintenance problem.

[Paul Gray]

Duncan,

I utterly agree with the comments made by Sean and Adrian.

If a few low cappers are concerned that contours are about to perform a perfectly natural function, a function which Dr. Mac no doubt intended, they are inadvertently getting a lesson in architecture. Maybe it's worth giving them the 'greatest architect ever thinks you're wrong' speech. And if they're concerned about ratings, whilst I don't wish to speak for TD et al, maybe you could make reference to Tom being a bit Dr. Mac afficionado.

I like the sound of your head greenkeeper more and more. 

[Jay Mickle]

This is already causing some controversy among certain long-standing low handicappers, particularly with regard to our elevated greens, as they object to a high pitch landing slightly short of the green running off. They reason that this is an 'unfair' punishment for a very nearly good shot.

"a very nearly good shot" is just that and not a justification to limit the opportunities for others to execute "excellent" run up shots.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Adrian:
 
I wish it was a promoter of the ground game, but in my experience, the aprons are usually a bit softer than greens and fairways.
 
Mark:
 
We have the same situation on our course and I but it down to the greens being sand based, but the aprons being more soil based. I assume the aprons get as much irrigation as the greens, so it must have something to do with the soil composition. On one our holes,  you can feel yourself sinking as you walk through the apron. Balls get plugged in the apron or only bounce a foot or two. I don't imagine our greenkeeper aims for this condition, but with so many sprinkler heads around the green edges, it's inevitable.

[Thomas Dai]

This is already causing some controversy among certain long-standing low handicappers, particularly with regard to our elevated greens, as they object to a high pitch landing slightly short of the green running off. They reason that this is an 'unfair' punishment for a very nearly good shot. They want aprons cut a little higher so that a ball will be held there.

Dear Mr Low-Handicapper,


Is it not equally unfair that a bad pitch, simply a mere pitch shot played by a player of your high skill level, is not punished by rolling further away from the target. After all, it wasn't a particularly good shot you hit was it. May I be so bold as to suggest that rather than cut the fringes to your preferred specification a pitching lesson with our professional may be of value to your game.


atb

[Steve Okula]

Aprons often stay wetter and softer than greens and fairways because the majority of greens are sloped towards the approach and so shed water on the apron.

[MClutterbuck]

Balls get plugged in the apron or only bounce a foot or two. I don't imagine our greenkeeper aims for this condition, but with so many sprinkler heads around the green edges, it's inevitable.

The greater the number of sprinkler heads you have around the green the DRIER and firmer the surrounds can be, if irrigated correctly.

[Josh Stevens]

is there not also an agronomic role to separate grasses in order to provide a bouncy surface and reduce green encroachment

Such as Royal Melbourne - legend fairways, fescue aprons and bent greens.

[Matt Wharton]

Gentlemen,

I am of the mindset the apron, or approach as we call it at Carolina Golf Club is the transition from the fairway into the putting surface.  As the caretaker of a recently restored Donald Ross design, I believe the ground game is an important and valuable aspect to playing the course as Mr. Ross intended.  In order to properly present the golf course for daily play, keeping the ground game in mind, we mow our approaches at a slightly lower height of cut (0.050") than fairways to encourage firm ground and tight lies.  Fairways are mowed with traditional 5-plex mowers while approaches and tightly mowed green surrounds are maintained with either walk-behind or triplex mowers depending on the contours.  These areas typically begin approximately 40 yards from the center of each green and continue right up to the edge of the putting surface (our greens are A1/A4 bentgrass and our closely mowed areas of the course are 419 bermudagrass).  We also topdress our fairways, approaches, and surrounds on a regular basis to encourage surface smoothness and firmness.  These practices combined allow for a variety of shots to be played from short and around the greens... just like Donald would have preferred