During the 1987 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, the U.S. Golf Association was able to use a severely sloped hole location on the 18th green. At Olympic’s next Open 11 years later, green speeds had increased so much that the same location repelled Payne Stewart’s eight-foot birdie putt, which trickled 25 feet down the hill as Stewart watched, arms crossed, in silent rage.Thanks to new breeds of grass that are able to be mowed at lower heights, greens have become faster over the years, and not just at the U.S. Open, although the subject comes to the fore at our national championship. During this year’s telecast, announcers will subject viewers to an overemphasis of green speed as a vital statistic: “The greens are rolling at 13 today, Johnny.”
Where once consistency and smoothness were hallmarks of fine putting surfaces, pace is now the most important criterion in rating greens, not just for the majors and professional events but also for everyday play.
Unfortunately, the result of this obsession with a number has been disastrous. Taking their cue from the U.S. Open and the Masters, members want their course to boast speeds of 11 and 12 feet as measured by a Stimpmeter (see sidebar). Those speeds challenge the pros but make many courses, especially older ones that feature plenty of undulation and slope, too difficult for average players to putt.
In addition, while cutting the greens so short for a week, such as for the U.S. Open, may be OK, doing so for an extended period often results in the grass dying. This trend has left organizations like the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America—superintendents often receive the brunt of the blame when greens go bad—and the American Society of Golf Course Architects scrambling to better educate golfers about the negative aspects of pushing for high green speeds. And the most outspoken critic of overly fast greens is Tim Moraghan, the USGA’s former director of championship agronomy who now consults for numerous courses.
Having prepared hundreds of courses for championships, Moraghan believes 10 feet is just fine for everyday greens, and that higher speeds make the game less enjoyable. He blames independent course owners and high-end private clubs that tout green speeds as part of their marketing efforts. He says low-handicap players who are influential members of their clubs and demand challenging conditions also take some of the heat. He doesn’t spare superintendents, the USGA, the PGA of America or the PGA Tour either.
“The responsibility falls on everyone,” he says. “Maybe they should be thinking about the people that want to learn the game.” Moraghan points out that U.S. Open green speeds are fast for only one reason, the same reason the rough is thick, the fairways are narrow and the par 4s stretch longer than 500 yards: to challenge the best players in the world.
