Greens—-Sloping or undulating. Which do you prefer?

[mike_malone]

 I played Gulph Mills on Friday. It has been a long time since my last round there. The greens are quite undulated and varied. It was a blast. 


 I’m usually more of a Flynn fan where slope is more prevalent.


 The greens were recently aerated so they were a little slower which actually accentuated the joy of the undulations.


 Sloping greens provide more interest to me in general because most of the ground is used for the roll. Undulations are unpinnable in areas which I find less appealing.


After Friday I may have to reconsider undulations as lesser than slope.
Gulph Mills does it well.


Your preference?

[Cal Carlisle]

I'm in the undulation camp. For me it's the fun in watching what everyone's putts are going to do. Undulating greens can lead to some long, frustrating rounds with not-so-good putters. I truly enjoy watching good putters on undulating greens, though.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Undulating greens (in the modern sense) tend to be easier to read than sloping greens.
Due to green speeds these days, most designers work with flattish tiers or plateaux in between the mounds and rolls.


Old school greens might have undulations with fairly sloping portions in between. Hence they could appear more subtle whilst simultaneously being more treacherous. Crystal Downs is a good example of this where current speeds render the greens on the verge of playable.

[mike_malone]

Ally,


I forgot to make that point that sloping greens are often harder to read. I think you mean CD’s greens are almost “ unplayable “. 

[Tim Martin]

A combination of the two if they complement each other without being too extreme would be my choice. Yale would be representative of same.

[mike_malone]

Tim,


 Yale’s undulating ones are so pronounced that I don’t even think of any other ones.

[Tim Martin]

Tim,


 Yale’s undulating ones are so pronounced that I don’t even think of any other ones.

Mike-I can’t argue with that and am eagerly awaiting the Hanse restoration most especially to see the reinstalled # 3 double punchbowl green. It will be open into September of this year and my treat if you can make it up.

[mike_malone]

Tim,


 Very kind of you to invite me. I get the same feeling at Yale that I get at Rolling Green. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE LAND!!


 I look forward to the width they create which makes great green complexes shine.

[Mike_Trenham]

It would be easy to argue that Gulph Mills greens are some of the best (top 5) in the deep local field (only #9 has never excited me as a low ball player).  Lots of top notch architects in GMGC’s pedigree, but the Maxwell and Ross originals are the best.


I think the ease in reading undulating greens vs. sloping greens is more a matter of what one is most familiar. Give me sloping poa greens and I am all good give me undulating bermuda and I am over thinking everything.


I also don’t see as many putts roll off undulating greens as I do sloping greens. Plus undulating surfaces seem easier to tweak if required, the tie ins often no longer work or don’t look right on a softened sloping green.

[Tom_Doak]

I like them all.  Even a flattish one every now and again!

[Thomas Dai]

I like them all.  Even a flattish one every now and again!

Flat can oftentimes be very confusing.
atb

[Steve Wilson]

Undulating.  A dead mammal burial ground.

[Ira Fishman]

I actually do not know the difference between sloping and undulating. The best greens I have encountered in no particular order:


Woking
Ballyneal
Somerset Hills
Yale
PH2
Golspie
Pasatiempo


Sloping or undulated? Or both?


Thanks.

[Kalen Braley]

I prefer flatter looking greens that are built deceptively into hillsides with slopes that results in a lot of movement, not that there is anything wrong with potato-chip greens either, they are both fun.

Perhaps its the subtlety of trying to figure out what the ball will do with the lack of more obvious clues presented in undulating greens.  I'm one of the few who actually enjoys getting fooled by a well-disguised green where balls seemingly break uphill...

[Jim Sherma]

I’m very partial to slope with variation along the slope. 1950’s RTJ style greens with sloped pinning areas separated by undulation are fine for the most part. More modern and random undulation style greens are less likable. In general they can be done well but I don’t think they necessarily result in the best golf unless they are on big greens that allow for larger shaping resulting in less sharp slopes and transitions. My least favorite greens are modern ones with flattish pinning areas and transition slopes.

[Matt MacIver]

On a boring tee-to-green course I much prefer undulating fast greens.  Gives you a chance to think, and possibly shine.

[Jim Sherma]

Played CC of Scranton today. One of the great sets of undulating greens out there. Mostly larger features that allow you to play against or along them. Maybe that’s the key, undulations that you can process and reasonably play to as opposed to smaller sharper features that add larger aspects of randomness to them.

[Sean_A]

I like them all.  Even a flattish one every now and again!

The obvious answer. My preference is for variety.

Ciao