Ohio Golf Journal August 2020

The Truth About Green Speed By George Waters, USGA Green Section T he following content was first published in the monthly digital edition of Golf Journal. To receive access to the USGA’s Members- only Golf Journal quarterly print and monthly digital publication – along with the many other benefits of USGA Membership – visit support. usga.org . Green speed is one of the most sensitive and misunderstood topics in golf. Golfers see lightning-fast greens on television or hear claims about green speeds at a course they admire and think that’s an ideal that other courses should aspire to. What they may not realize is that those conditions require significant resources to deliver, may last for only a short period of time, and are not appropriate for the vast majority of golf courses or golfers. There is also a lot of misinformation about green speeds, so golfers shouldn’t believe everything they hear from their playing partners or television broadcasters. Here are five things every golfer should know about green speed: Faster does not mean better The appropriate green speed for a particular course depends on the putting green contours, grass type, maintenance budget and skill level Ohio Golf Journal