Perhaps the Altrincham municipal isn't the only course that's got a new greenkeeper/pinsetter who's both a GCA geek and a psycho? Eh, Duncan Cheslett?
I’ve already had a lot of fun in my new career as a greenkeeper!
As the only golfer on the greens staff I was quickly given the job of selecting pin positions and changing holes each Friday. Previous policy had simply been to have “6 front, 6 middle, and 6 back” and my colleagues generally picked a fairly central spot.
My first port of call was the R&A, the governing body of golf in England. Their guidelines on pin placement are brief and straightforward.
https://www.randa.org/en/rog/committee-procedures/5eThe greens at Altrincham are a lot flatter than at Cavendish and Reddish Vale, but have subtle borrows that are not immediately obvious. There are also copious greenside bunkers and mounding which protect large areas of each green from straightforward shots from the fairway.
I immediately realised that the position of the pin can greatly influence the tactics required to play each hole successfully from tee to green. It can also mitigate against the advantage of very big hitters.
We have several par 4s in the 300 - 350 yard range. I see my job in setting the pin as making such holes a routine par but a difficult birdie - even from 50 yards out.
The same goes for par 5s. If Bertie Big Bollocks can hit the green in two I’m going to make damn sure he’s going to have a tricky 30 footer for his eagle and be in definite 3 putt territory. At the same time the pin will be accessible for mere mortals with a wedge from 100 yards for their third shot.
My modus operandus is to roll a few balls across the green to identify spots which meet the R&A criteria but don’t “collect” balls. A foot one way or the other can make a big difference!
Our 7th green is a Biarritz with a tiny raised area at the back. In living memory the pin has only ever been placed on the front section as the dip gets a little damp and the grass heavy. Needless to say I put the pin at the back in my first week! An ill judged putt from distance would roll back to the middle of the green!
This caused consternation among certain members who claimed that the pin was “illegal”, being only 4ft from the back of the green atop a slight dome. Other members meanwhile, enjoyed it immensely.
As can be seen from the guidelines there is no rule about how far from the edge of a green a pin must be, despite many myths to the contrary. Happily my managers backed me and my assertion to members that “golf is supposed to be fun, and there is no greater fun than watching your buddy make an ass of himself!”
We are going to mow that green out another 6ft to give more pin positions at the back!
Greenkeeping is hard work and sitting on a mower for 8 hours can get a little dull. Setting pin positions is the highlight of my week! 😈