Air bubble on green at PGA National

[Emile Bonfiglio]

How does this happen?

[Don Mahaffey]

Are you sure that is air?

[Matt Frey, PGA]

I cannot speak to how/why it happens, but have seen it happen a couple of times before at a course I used to work at; once during a very heavy rainstorm like at PGA National, the other when a sprinkler head near the green burst. It was only air, and once "popped," the super only had to do minor work on the spots...for the most part, the turf fell back into place.

[Peter Galea]

In a saturated condition such as this, it is a water bubble. The roots have separated from the mix.
A screwdriver hole or two and pressure will force the water out. The turf can be tamped back in place.
The roots will contact the mix and recover.

[David_Elvins]

Is there a rule of golf that would allow a golfer to fix it?

[jeffwarne]

Is there a rule of golf that would allow a golfer to fix it?

Why on earh would one want to "fix" the one unique non repetitive architectural (nonwater)feature out there

[C. Sturges]

Jeff,
Does this mean PGA National is not the first place you want to play when you go to Florida?   I played there two winters in a row for work, the only part I was looking forward to was that I was playing golf in the winter and there was no snow on the ground!
Have not seen a bubble like that on a green, but as others have said, pop it and it will recover quickly.  Bet they keep the pin away for a while to give it time to recover.
chris

[Ed Brzezowski]

Is there a rule of golf that would allow a golfer to fix it?

I don't believe so Dave, I think it would be treated as a heavily damage hole. Get on the phone and call in the cavalry . It has to be an " abnormal ground condition". 

[Wade Whitehead]

I've actually seen a bubble like that in a fairway a couple of times.  It was the result of a leaking water line.

WW

[Joe Hancock]

If we could only find a way to mow such a feature....

[Will Lozier]

This looks like a smaller replica of the pimple that Pat wants restored at PV's 18th.  I like it.

[Patrick_Mucci]

In a saturated condition such as this, it is a water bubble. The roots have separated from the mix.
A screwdriver hole or two and pressure will force the water out. The turf can be tamped back in place.
The roots will contact the mix and recover.

Peter,

It may not be a water bubble, rather an air bubble.
It's difficult for water to defy gravity.

I've come across a good number of them.

A quick hit with a blade putter usually bursts the bubble and lets the turf return to it's normal position.

As to relief, one look at the photo tells you the answer to that question.

[Thomas Dai]

The green might be better with a load more of them, permenant ones of varying sizes. Himalayas at St Andrews.
atb

[Carl Johnson]

The ones I've experienced, in fairways, have been water bubbles resulting from natural drainage and a rain soaked course, both on mountain courses in North Carolina.  A good whack with toe of an iron club will relieve the pressure, and if it's really full, result in a momentary geyser.

[Patrick_Mucci]

This looks like a smaller replica of the pimple that Pat wants restored at PV's 18th.  I like it.

Will,

What I like about this mound, or any similar feature in a green, is that it divides the green.

If not visually, it presents a physical tactical challenge on the approach, recovery and putting that are all connected.

Fail to execute your approach properly, and you increase the degree of difficulty on your next shot, be that a recovery or a putt.

Fail to execute your recovery properly, and you increase the degree of difficulty on your putt.

It's a wonderful feature that adds exponentially to the challenge of the hole.

Hitting to the 18th green at PV is only made challenging by one factor........... distance.
It's a huge saucer like green that self-corrects misplayed or mishit shots.

Returning the mound, as Crump conceived, designed and built the 18th green would dramatically improve the challenge and fun factor on the 18th hole.

[Pete_Pittock]

they are fixed very easily with an overhead five iron. I've encountered many of them in the PNW winters. If you drive over them with a golf cart very slowly, they are amoeba-like

[Adam Warren]

This picture likely came from the PGA or one of the other twitter feeds associated with the tournament.  I know I saw it on twitter and it was some account in an official capacity.  It stated on that account it was an air bubble.  I'd be inclined to go with that instead of some saying it is a water bubble.

[Steve Okula]

It's water, not air, for God's sake just look at the conditions!

It'll be a drain backed up, and water "defying gravity" in the same sense that a geyser does. Water doesn't always flow to gravity, it follows the path of least resistance.

[Don Mahaffey]

Oh c'mon Steve.

It's the PGA, they know the difference between water and air. Even the PGA member who posted here said when a water line breaks or you get a heavy rainstorm that you get air bubbles. Everyone knows turf is air tight. The cause is probably the sub air system with the selector switch accidentally in the "blow" position instead of "suck".

[Dane Hawker]

Seen many before. Just spike it and the air will release. Stand on it a few times and it will flatten back down. Sometimes water comes out of where you spiked it. Likely cause is a blocked drain?