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Green Speed; Ready to Go

• Infinito3010 3,689 Posts

  Sat, Dec 19 2009 5:50 PM

  I've notice that the green speed specified at tee off indicates fast.  Now, from observation the green speed appears to be standard on the front 9 and fast on the back 9.  Anyone else notice this.

   

  Note: This is only on Bethpage.  Kiawah is consistent.

• dorkfeatures 712 Posts

  Sat, Dec 19 2009 7:25 PM

  Hi,

  I noticed similar on my very first round after the upgrade. It was really obvious something had changed.

  I played an 18 hole practice round, I would say the green speeds were between standard and fast for all 18 - but definitely not fast.

  It was really obvious to me because my putting calcs always get my ball to the hole or more likely 2 - 3 ft past on these "fast" greens. All my putts were coming up 2ft short, given my calcs for "fast" greens, after I made a small adjustment they started to get there again.

  I shot a 68, but boy - I left 2 or 3 shots on the greens, which I would normally have expected to get.

  Must go out for another practice round and see what I encounter. Its a bit pot luck though :-(

  Cheers Doug

   

• birdwell 561 Posts

  Sat, Dec 19 2009 9:26 PM

  A long time ago, a heard a golf commentator say that Tiger Woods' biggest weakness (well, besides cocktail waitresses apparently! ;-0 ) was that it was difficult for him to adjust his game if the speed of the green was something other than what he had assumed at the beginning of the round.

  Just something to ponder there.

  There was definitely a change this week regarding green speed, they were good changes IMO, I didn't even mind that WGT did not  specifically state what had changed. Golf is a game of incomplete information after all.

  When we were first hit with "Fast" greens month(s) ago, people griped, and hard, about the speed. I always felt that there was too HUGE of a difference between STANDARD and FAST.

  Now, we have VERY FAST which has basically  replaced FAST, and also now we have an intermediate step between that and STANDARD, which is FAST - and is currently the hardest for me to get a feel for.

  There will be more speeds on the way: (From the FAQ)

   

  What are the possible green speeds?

  Very Slow
  Slow
  Standard
  Fast
  Very Fast
  Tournament
  Championship

   

  We have only seen 4 of those 7. (What the heck is Championship going to be like???!!!)

  There need to be random, daily, or weekly changes to green speeds in RANKED rounds. We are simply babied as it is also shooting the same speed, on the same pins. (well two pins now on BPB)

  I love the variety already present in the ready-gos and look forward to future and weekly monthlys.

   

  The more variety we get in speeds, the more it will become about "feel" - and less and less about "calcs" - this is a good thing! :)

   

• dorkfeatures 712 Posts

  Sat, Dec 19 2009 9:47 PM

  @birdwell,

  Hi

  Nice post - cant say I disagree with you on any of your points at all. The old fast is now as you say probably the new very fast. Fast now is between standard and the old fast etc etc. I'd just about got the hang of the old "fast" to !! Oh well thats golf.

  Yes - agree about the variety. Certainly makes it more challenging for sure - and thats what I enjoy.

  Just went for my second practice round on - Hard 1 green positions, fast green - shot 69. Some awkward pin placements in Hard 1, I wonder what Hard 2 are like ??

  Am struggling to get to master though - is getting harder now with all the variety.

  I say bring it on though :-)

  Cheers Doug

• Infinito3010 3,689 Posts

  Sun, Dec 20 2009 12:46 AM

  I have nothing against green speeds.   The ability to adapt shows diversity.  However, green speeds in a specific round need to be consistent, so you can adapt.  Looking at a green in real life, you can get a sense of its speed.  Thus, you do need to rely on the information being displayed.   When one green is fast, then the next different, although the information showed is fast, how can one adapt.  

  I agree, the old fast is between standard and the very fast.  It is when you play the next round one encounters totally different parameters that change during the round.

   

• bigdilba01 219 Posts

  Sun, Dec 20 2009 3:04 AM

  infinito i to have noticed this problem, i have left alot of putts short because of this

• BolloxInBruges 1,389 Posts

  Mon, Dec 21 2009 12:05 AM

  Something needs to be done about the green speed problem.   It is a compete guessing game at this point.

  I just did a ready-go on back at BP labeled 'standard'  doing the normal +2 ft was not coming anywhere near reaching the hole as they were in my dec. multiround open which was also labeled standard.

  It is incredibly frustrating watching a dinged flat 8 ft putt stop 2" short on the first green.  It usually takes me 2 holes to not be pissed anymore and refocus on golf.