Golf News

Golf tip - Green speed

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Having been fortunate enough to play a wide variety of golf courses around the world in the past 30 years, the one thing that stands out for me is the difference in the speed of the putting green from one location to the next.

For professional tournaments, a device known as the ‘Stimpmeter’ is used by the rules committee to inform the players just how fast the greens are for that week. The Stimpmeter was designed by American Edward Stimpson in 1935 and is an angled track that releases a ball at a known velocity, so that the distance it rolls on a flat green surface can be measured in feet.

For reference, the USGA rates the speed as follows for golf courses and has a different rating for courses set up for tournament professionals:
SLOW = 4.5 feet as standard and 6.5 feet for tournament play.
MEDIUM = 6.5 feet as standard and 8.5 feet for tournament play.
FAST = 8.5 feet as standard and 10.5 feet for tournament play.

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