What is the average green speed?

Asked by: Shea Folta

JPG. The average green speed on the PGA Tour is about 11 or above, which is significantly quicker than a regular golf club. One event that has always been associated with fast greens is The Masters and we have seen many players over the years struggle on the putting surfaces at Augusta National.

What is a normal green speed?

It found the average green speed to be about 6.5. Less than 2 percent of the 2,116 measurements recorded were higher than 9.

How fast are the greens at the Open?

In their Pace of Play manual issued several years ago, the R&A revealed they set a maximum green speed target of 10.5 feet at golf’s oldest major. With links courses susceptible to getting a bit breezy on occasion, that speed can also be significantly reduced when strong winds are forecast.

How can you tell how fast greens are?

Place a golf ball in the slot raise. The back into the spent meter slowly. Until gravity pulls the golf ball out of the slot.

How fast are greens at Augusta?

Augusta greens would normally run at 12 on a flat surface but could be as quick as 20 to 30 down one of those notorious slopes. The distance a golfball rolls on a pulling green is determined by the force imparted and the friction generated between ball and surface.

What is the average Stimpmeter?

A typical golf club usually aims for a Stimpmeter reading of 9 or 10. This is generally considered to be the goldilocks zone of green speeds; not too fast, not too slow. For golfing competitions, it’s not uncommon to see stimpmeter readings creep up to 11 or 12, which is the average stimpmeter reading on the PGA Tour.

What is fast on a Stimpmeter?

What is fast on the stimpmeter? Fast or slow is arbitrary but in general, anything over an 11 is considered fast amongst most golfers. Some of the fastest green readings are around 14 or 15 (like Augusta National) and are nearly impossible to putt on for most amateur golfers as the golf ball rolls forever.

How fast are greens at Masters?

The unofficial rating of the golf course was determined to be 78.1 with an average greens speed of 12′, peaking at 15′. The large variance in greens speed is to protect the golfers from the dramatic slopes and contours.

What course has the fastest greens?

Oakmont Country Club

For some further perspective, the greens at Oakmont Country Club (where the stimpmeter was conceived) are some of the fastest in the world, with readings of 13–15 feet at their quickest. The number that was estimated for Augusta National was 12 feet.

What grass is Augusta National greens?

The main turfgrass at Augusta is bermuda, which stops growing at the end of the summer, as the nights get cooler, growing dormant and brown — or it would, except that Augusta pre-empts part of that process by “scalping” the bermuda, cutting it down to nearly nothing.

How fast were greens in the 70s?

Before releasing their modified Stimpmeter (briefly known as the “Speed Stick”), the USGA took green speed measurements in 1976 and 1977 on more than 1,500 greens in 36 states. The average green speed was 6.5 feet.

Are faster greens harder?

In conclusion, fast greens (or at least greens golfers consider to be fast) are more difficult for the average golfer. They pose a greater challenge for distance control, leading to more 3- and 4-putts.

Can greens be too fast?

But, if it’s almost impossible to get the ball close to hole from anywhere but directly below it, you know the greens are too fast. If you are putting reasonbly straight downhill (break makes judging the speed harder) and you can’t get the ball to stop within 6 to 8 feet I think they’re getting too fast for the slope.