Firstly, I am very happy if I have time to practice putting before the adventure begins.
Secondly, I have often thought, while standing on the practice green, that if I asked Tiger Woods what was the toughest putt to make, his answer would be the "dead straight 3-4 foot putt". Make those and you can make anything. That makes sense to me. If I can consistently sink the straight 3-4 footers, only then could I hit something with a bend. Hence, I find a flat spot and do what I can to keep sinking those shorties.
The other approach, if I have not had time to go to the range, is to take some very long putts, just to get the feel.
I realize this has nothing to do with golf architecture but all of us who love golf architecture appreciate the approach to the practice green, so I thank Sean Leary for starting this thread. Only you could pull it off!
Regards, I am off to San Francisco tomorrow with my family, prepared to beg for time on the course. I am convinced that if I get up at 5 and get to a course by 6, return by 10, at the worst I will have missed breakfast. That will have to do.