Can Well-Maintained Greens Lower Your Scores
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Recreation Sports -> subcategory Golf.
Can Well-Maintained Greens Lower Your Scores?
Introduction
While refining your swing is often the main focus of golf lessons, the condition of the greens can significantly impact your game. Frequent players on the same course particularly benefit from understanding how green maintenance?"mowing, watering, and fertilizing?"can affect their scores.
The Importance of Green Speed
Players frequently request faster greens, although some occasionally prefer slower ones. Misjudging green speed can lead to higher scores. The term "green speed" refers to the distance a ball travels on the green, measured by the USGA Stimpmeter. A "fast" green allows the ball to roll farther; a "slow" green does the opposite. This speed is influenced by the interplay between the putter's initial energy and the green's surface friction.
Influencing Factors
While elements like humidity and soil type can alter green speed, they have minimal impact on your overall play. However, specific management techniques can dramatically affect green speed both in the short and long term.
Mowing
Mowing is crucial for increasing ball roll. Lowering the mowing height by just 1/16 inch can extend the roll by 6 to 10 inches. Mowing twice, once in each direction, can add 6 to 12 inches. Walk-behind mowers often result in faster greens compared to triplex mowers.
Irrigation
Drier greens offer faster ball rolls. Reducing irrigation before a major event can increase roll distance by 4 to 8 inches, depending on soil conditions.
Rolling
Although not new, rolling greens is becoming more popular due to improved equipment. Depending on the roller type, you can enhance green speed by 4 to 10 inches with minimal compaction on sand-based greens.
Topdressing
Light, frequent topdressing may initially slow the green for up to a week but then speeds it up by 4 to 8 inches compared to pre-application levels. Vertical mowing has a similar effect. Without topdressing, core aeration may reduce speed over time.
Fertility
Reducing nitrogen in the soil gradually extends ball roll by 8 to 12 percent, although this change might take a year to materialize. Plant growth regulators also increase ball roll, typically by 4 to 8 inches.
Conclusion
These factors often interact, requiring careful management to balance them effectively. Next time you're on the course, consider how these elements influence the greens. Understanding and adapting to them could improve your play and lower your handicap.
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