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Horrible greens = horrible putting

Played a new course today. An exclusive private club in a gated community. (someone gave us a certificate) Well it was a nice course but rather simple, let's just say we were expecting WOW! It wasn't difficult (white tees=65.0/114) of course, we had the option of playing the more difficult tees but we always play white in accordance with our ability. I hesitate to say it's a "boring" course, it could be boring to a really good golfer. It was in great condition and there were lots of bunkers in the fairways and protecting the green which added interest and challenge. Ah but those greens...while they were in great condition, some of them were the most obscenely heavily contoured and sloped greens I have ever seen. Now putting isn't my strong suit to start with but I can usually keep it averaging slightly over 2 putt. Not on these hills. I had an otherwise pretty good round going for me but trying to putt every conceivable angle across rediculous slopes killed an otherwise good round. I 3 putted and 4 putted. Now I don't mind a challenge, and golf IS quite a challenge and that's why we play. But I gotta say that I DO NOT ENJOY trying to putt greens like this. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and I played well for me but I'm hitting fairways and greens and then end up faced with impossible putts. I don't really understand the logic behind a course designer doing this unless it is that the designer couldn't/didn't use much imagination in building this course so he made up for it by making the greens very difficult.

Am I whining unnecessarily here?

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Comments (21)
	aumurray 10/12/2009 9:00:30 AM It was a challenging test. They don't make for great scoring rounds, but I bet next time you will do better. Best advice I have is to keep using your imagination on the breaks and make practice putting strokes looking a the hole to get a feel for what speed you need to roll the putt. If that doesn't work, then go home hug your girl and wait until your bloodpressure comes down. You will do good.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:24:15 PM TGCCGolfCartel: "It's a sport, make the putts"...I wish I could, that was the point of this post. The point wasn't necessarily pin position. That topic came up in the comments. It was green design that was the topic and point of the post. hat was the topic and point of the post.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:24:15 PM TGCCGolfCartel: "It's a sport, make the putts"...I wish I could, that was the point of this post. The point wasn't necessarily pin position. That topic came up in the comments. It was green design that was the topic and point of the post. hat was the topic and point of the post.
	bradley894 11/21/2008 2:11:46 PM my home course tends to have some tuff greens .. i wouldnt say out of hand but fast and tricky.. on the front there is a par 4 about 135 to 140 to the front .. its over water and i always end up above the fairway)because of a pin placement that is silly is something that should be braught up at the clubhouse.. i play often on wed.. my day off and the mens club has a scramble of some sort one wed a month and they like tuff pin positions.. there are some days its just crazy!!!!!!!!
	bradley894 11/21/2008 2:11:46 PM my home course tends to have some tuff greens .. i wouldnt say out of hand but fast and tricky.. on the front there is a par 4 about 135 to 140 to the front .. its over water and i always end up above the hole. it never fails and a 3 put is very common.. even when you aim for the center of the green it sucks... and noumber ten at home if the pin placement is in back your fine but a couple times i played it this year after a 25yd drive with a corner that cant be cut by the best your looking at 145 to 190 to the pin depending if you fade the drive to the right.. so two times im below the hole the pin cut ten feet from the front fringe ..first time im sitting below the hole on the fringe pull my 6 iron and use it like a putter .. runs up to the hole comes back t the fringe do it agian! same results from a foot past the hole.. third try i had to knock it in .. sometimes with the wind and fast green there is no help at all.. i know the greens i play are trick and fast and my scores reflect that... i think the courses that are set up shorter often set it up with hard greens to keep it challenging. BUT if there is no safe landing aria and no smart way to attack a green(from the middle of
	bradley894 11/21/2008 2:11:46 PM my home course tends to have some tuff greens .. i wouldnt say out of hand but fast and tricky.. on the front there is a par 4 about 135 to 140 to the front .. its over water and i always end up above the fairway)because of a pin placement that is silly is something that should be braught up at the clubhouse.. i play often on wed.. my day off and the mens club has a scramble of some sort one wed a month and they like tuff pin positions.. there are some days its just crazy!!!!!!!!
	bradley894 11/21/2008 2:11:46 PM my home course tends to have some tuff greens .. i wouldnt say out of hand but fast and tricky.. on the front there is a par 4 about 135 to 140 to the front .. its over water and i always end up above the hole. it never fails and a 3 put is very common.. even when you aim for the center of the green it sucks... and noumber ten at home if the pin placement is in back your fine but a couple times i played it this year after a 25yd drive with a corner that cant be cut by the best your looking at 145 to 190 to the pin depending if you fade the drive to the right.. so two times im below the hole the pin cut ten feet from the front fringe ..first time im sitting below the hole on the fringe pull my 6 iron and use it like a putter .. runs up to the hole comes back t the fringe do it agian! same results from a foot past the hole.. third try i had to knock it in .. sometimes with the wind and fast green there is no help at all.. i know the greens i play are trick and fast and my scores reflect that... i think the courses that are set up shorter often set it up with hard greens to keep it challenging. BUT if there is no safe landing aria and no smart way to attack a green(from the middle of
	Sylla 11/21/2008 1:05:54 PM And the slope was only 114? It's odd, if the greens are that difficult. Where I practice, the practice green has some crazy spots like that... I would often 3 or 4 putt in these areas because the ball just won't stop close to the hole if you miss it. I agree with you that it's no fun when you're playing. Where I play, the greens are huge (up to 80 feet wide) and undulated, but they're not devilish like the ones you're describing. just won't stop close to the hole if you miss it. I agree with you that it's no fun when you're playing. Where I play, the greens are huge (up to 80 feet wide) and undulated, but they're not devilish like the ones you're describing.
	Sylla 11/21/2008 1:05:54 PM And the slope was only 114? It's odd, if the greens are that difficult. Where I practice, the practice green has some crazy spots like that... I would often 3 or 4 putt in these areas because the ball just won't stop close to the hole if you miss it. I agree with you that it's no fun when you're playing. Where I play, the greens are huge (up to 80 feet wide) and undulated, but they're not devilish like the ones you're describing. just won't stop close to the hole if you miss it. I agree with you that it's no fun when you're playing. Where I play, the greens are huge (up to 80 feet wide) and undulated, but they're not devilish like the ones you're describing.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:28:33 AM Oh and Goynes, I agree, having to putt across a tier or slope is fine, just part of the game. But the pin should be on relatively flat ground or at least gentle slope so that you can be rewarded for handling that tier or slope. It should not be cut so that if you miss the hole gravity carries the ball another 20 ft downhill.andling that tier or slope. It should not be cut so that if you miss the hole gravity carries the ball another 20 ft downhill.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:28:33 AM Oh and Goynes, I agree, having to putt across a tier or slope is fine, just part of the game. But the pin should be on relatively flat ground or at least gentle slope so that you can be rewarded for handling that tier or slope. It should not be cut so that if you miss the hole gravity carries the ball another 20 ft downhill.andling that tier or slope. It should not be cut so that if you miss the hole gravity carries the ball another 20 ft downhill.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:25:20 AM There were a few pin positions on a slope so steep it was almost impossible to stop the ball. On one, luckily I was putting uphill. I rolled it PAST the hole missing by maybe 1/2 inch. The ball stopped, reversed and rolled back down into the hole. That's how steep of a slope the pin was cut on. So while that particular putt worked out(in fact we were laughing at the absurdity of holing a putt like that) still, on some greens it was just ridiculous. And yes, there were a couple of greens with the "buried elephant" mound right in the middle in addition to a couple of steep tiers.d, reversed and rolled back down into the hole. That's how steep of a slope the pin was cut on. So while that particular putt worked out(in fact we were laughing at the absurdity of holing a putt like that) still, on some greens it was just ridiculous. And yes, there were a couple of greens with the "buried elephant" mound right in the middle in addition to a couple of steep tiers.
	badgolfergreg 11/21/2008 8:25:20 AM There were a few pin positions on a slope so steep it was almost impossible to stop the ball. On one, luckily I was putting uphill. I rolled it PAST the hole missing by maybe 1/2 inch. The ball stopped, reversed and rolled back down into the hole. That's how steep of a slope the pin was cut on. So while that particular putt worked out(in fact we were laughing at the absurdity of holing a putt like that) still, on some greens it was just ridiculous. And yes, there were a couple of greens with the "buried elephant" mound right in the middle in addition to a couple of steep tiers.d, reversed and rolled back down into the hole. That's how steep of a slope the pin was cut on. So while that particular putt worked out(in fact we were laughing at the absurdity of holing a putt like that) still, on some greens it was just ridiculous. And yes, there were a couple of greens with the "buried elephant" mound right in the middle in addition to a couple of steep tiers.
	dday39 11/21/2008 7:40:22 AM I'm with Goynes. I've played some greens with nasty slopes and contours. It's nice when the pin placements put the slopes in play, but I hate when the pin is located right on the slope. You find yourself yelling "hit the hole" more than really trying to make putts.elf yelling "hit the hole" more than really trying to make putts.
	dday39 11/21/2008 7:40:22 AM I'm with Goynes. I've played some greens with nasty slopes and contours. It's nice when the pin placements put the slopes in play, but I hate when the pin is located right on the slope. You find yourself yelling "hit the hole" more than really trying to make putts.elf yelling "hit the hole" more than really trying to make putts.

badgolfergreg

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