Speed is the key factor when considering green maintenance. Usually, players want a superintendent to increase green speed. It&’s probably the most frequent request about greens. Occasionally, players want a superintendent to decrease green speed, but these requests are few and far between. Misjudging the speed of a putt can add strokes to a score, as I&’ve mentioned in my golf tips.

The term &’green speed&’ is technically inaccurate. The device measuring &’speed&’ &’the USGA Stimpmeter &’gauges the distance a ball rolls when released at a controlled speed on a putting surface, not the ball&’s velocity. To talk about green speed then is a bit of a misnomer. Nevertheless, we continue to use the term when talking about greens. (I even use it when giving golf lessons.) A green with a relatively long ball roll is considered &’fast.&’ A green with a relatively short ball roll is said to be &’slow.&’

Ball roll relates to relationship between the initial energy when a putter strikes the ball and the resistance between the ball and the turf&’s surface, or friction. As the ball rolls across the green, its surface slows it down thanks to friction. A green with high resistance slows a ball down more than a green with low resistance. Moderating friction changes a green&’s speed.

Environmental factors, such as humidity, can moderate friction and change a green&’s speed. For example, high humidity increases green speed, a consideration when playing on a hot day. Soil type also influences green speed. Greens made predominately of clay are faster in spring than their sandier counterparts. While superintendents have little or no control over these factors, they have minimal impact on your game.

Management practices, on the other hand, like mowing or irrigation, can make a profound impact on a green, both short-term and long-term. Below is a summary of how some popular management practices affect green speed.

Mowing:

An effective way of increasing ball roll in the short-term, mowing has a significant impact on green speed. Decreasing mowing height by only 1/16 inch can increase ball roll from 6 to 10 inches. A similar response occurs when you &’double cut&’ a green (mowing it a second time, perpendicular to the first cut) which can increase ball roll 6 to 12 inches. Mower type also influences green speed. Greens cut with a walk-behind mower are generally 6 to 8 inches fast than greens cut with triplex mowers.

Irrigation

Dry greens are faster than moist or wet greens. Withholding irrigation or decreasing it before an event requiring faster greens will increase ball roll 4 to 8 inches, depending on soil type.

Rolling

Rolling golf greens isn&’t new, but it&’s growing in popularity thanks to new research and better equipment. Depending on the type of roller you use, you can increase green speed from 4 to 10 inches, with minimal compaction problems on sand-based greens

Topdressing

Light frequent topdressing with or without vertical mowing or core aerating is common. Topdressing decreases speed for up to 1 week after application, followed by an increase of from 4 to 8 inches (above the speed before topdressing.) Vertical mowing has a similar effect. Core aeration reduces speed initially, and if you don&’t topdress to fill in the holes, decrease it long term.

Fertility

Decreasing nitrogen fertility will gradually increase ball-roll distance. A decrease in nitrogen fertility of only 10 percent can increase ball roll 8 to 12 percent. The effects may take up to a year to see, however, depending on previous fertility practices. Plant growth regulators can increase ball roll from 4 to 8 inches, depending on product, rate, and frequency of application.

Keep in mind that these factors do not operate independently. Modifying one may require compensation by modifying another.

Next time you play your favorite course be aware of these factors and how they affect a green. Take them into account when putting. Doing so might just help you improve your round and your golf handicap.

Golf being an outdoor activity you play on a living portion of land, and as in everything else out of doors, Mother Nature loves to play this game.

Grasses are different; you might encounter a plush putting green or a weed patch with little growth at all. The putt can be altered by the texture, length and texture of the grass, and how much grass is actually there.

A true golfer doesnt play only on sunny days with no breeze, it is quite common to see a golfer with an umbrella (to protect the clubs) playing in the rain.

Like any other outdoor activity, the rain changes how you putt a golf ball.

You will also come across a condition that is created by man, that is recognized by few golfers, this is called the &’lumpy donut&’ however this is not a real threat.

In the United States you will most likely be playing on one of two types of grass:

Bent is a cool weather grass found in the northern states, it is soft with fine blades growing close together, and this creates a carpet like texture. It cant take prolonged heat or humidity.

Bermuda is used in the warmer climates; it is a strong weedy grass that handles warmer climates and humidity found in the southern states.

The blades are long, broad, shaggy and sparser; golfers describe it as a wild shag rug which causes the ball to rise and fall in and out of the blades. Bermuda also has a grain, the direction in which the grass grows.

Their differences create very different playing surfaces for golf.

Balls will roll truer on bent grasses and the break will be caused by the slope of the land. With Bermuda your shot can be affected by uneven growth patterns in the grass.

The place to identify how your shots will react to the different types of grass is the practice green.