Green Slopes for Putting - Part 1

By: Jeffrey D. Brauer


Over time, it became design convention to reward golfers who have hit a green in regulation and putted within 3 feet of the hole by giving them a basically straight putt. While no one knows how golfers proclaimed this their right - it's not the 11th Commandment (either mine or the Lord's), after all - golfers expect it, and course managers responsible for speed of play (and revenue) demand it. And, so it is.

It's frustrating for the golfer, his partners and following golfers to have to line up a putt no matter how short. And, no one argues that it should be unusual for putts to "de-green" themselves, as summed up by Golden Age architect Harry Colt:

"In no case should a green be contoured so that a ball runs away from a putter like a swine possessed by the devil."

So, true! Given today's increasing green speeds, that's getting harder to do for architects. Older greens had a steeper, more natural appearance, and still achieved reasonable putting quality because they were slower, had higher, bumpier grass cuts, and "grain," where today's grass varieties don't.

The Stimpmeter (a greens speedometer, empirically measuring how far a standardized putt will roll when placed on a flat surface) changed all that. The race for speed is no longer confined to NASCAR tracks. Too often, whenever a club hears that the greens at Augusta National or a U.S. Open venue (or some other tournament) "roll 13 on the Stimpmeter" they set out to get those, too. That desire, along with faster and smoother sand-based USGA-spec greens, better mowers and newer, shorter-cut turf varieties - most with less grain - have combined to increase green speeds gradually.

This, by the way, has combined to change the basic putting stroke, as using less power allows the best golfers to focus more on precision. Take a look at old footage of Palmer and Nicklaus on then-fast greens at the same tournament courses played today. You will see much more wrist action (rare these days) as it was needed to propel the ball towards the cup.

Architects have responded to these conditions and the "basic slope" (i.e., the maximum or typical slope of the majority of any green surface) has gradually been reduced to maintain "fairness" and "reward skill" - in other words, a precision putting stroke - as follows:

• 1920-30s - up to an 8 percent slope
• 1940-50s - 4-6 percent was typical
• 1960-70s - 3-4 percent degree was typical
• 1980-90s - 2-3 percent (3 percent being the maximum recommended by the USGA).
• 2000 - Architects, clubs and the PGA Tour prefer greens slopes of 1.5-2.25 degrees.

That leaves architects a narrow range of slope for design! Next time, we will examine just how narrow that is.

Jeffrey D. Brauer began his career as an apprentice in the Chicago area in 1977. His first project was Kemper Lakes, which shortly after hosted the 1989 PGA Championship. He formed GolfScapes in Arlington, Texas, in 1984. In the last 29 years he has designed and consulted on a wide spectrum of projects, ranging from partial renovations to international resorts. His recent work includes teaming with the design team of Pascuzzo and Pate on a remodel of the world-famous La Costa Resort & Spa in California, and renovations at Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen, Minn., and Mesquite Municipal Golf Course in Mesquite, Texas.

He has been a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects since 1981, serving as President during its 50th Anniversary year in 1995-96. Jeff still studies the classic works - both old and new, and has played more than 75 of the best courses in the world.

Jeff gives many presentations and is a regular architecture columnist for many publications and websites, including Golf Course Industry and Cybergolf.com. He has also been a strong advocate for the "Tee it Forward" campaign and strives to make his courses fit the description of "fun to play every day."

Jeff's work has been spotlighted in most of the world's major golf magazines. Golf World ranked him as one of the top-20 golf course architects and Golf Inc. ranked him as the world's fourth-best value in golf architecture in 2010. Jeff's portfolio and reputation keep him at the forefront of desired designers for new courses, reconstruction and renovation projects. For more about Jeff, visit http://www.jeffreydbrauer.com/sites/courses/layout.asp?id=859&page=48451.