In a previous blog I discussed how the weekly use of a greens roller enhances green speed and playability. The rolling of the greens has garnered lots of comments from members and staff - most of them positive - but it would be nice to have more than anecdotal evidence that the greens are better for being rolled regularly. One of the ways to gather hard evidence is through the use of a stimpmeter.
A stimpmeter is an ingeniously simple device that is used to measure green speed. Invented in 1935 by avid golfer and spectator Ed Stimpson. A pretty fair golfer himself, Stimpson once won the Massachussetts State Amateur Championship. It was as a spectator at the 1935 US Open at Oakmont, that Stimpson got the inspiration for the device that now bears his name. After watching professional golfer Gene Sarazen hit a putt past the hole and right off the green, Stimpson wondered if he could develop a device that would prove the greens were unfairly fast. He developed an angled track, three feet long, that applied a known force to a ball released along its path. Incredibly simple, the device involved placing a ball into a notch, inclining the ramp to the predetermined release angle of 20 degrees, and measuring the distance the ball rolled. If a ball rolled 8 feet the greens score would be 8. If it rolled 11 feet then the score would be 11. The higher the score, the faster the green.
Stimpson's original device was made of wood. In 1976 the device got a make over from the USGA's Frank Thomas. Thomas reworked the ramp in aluminum, painted it green and used it to measure green speed at the 1976 US Open in Atlanta. In 1978, the USGA made Stimpmeters available to course superintendents so that they could use them to determine green speed and consistency. Since then there has been considerable controversy over the use of stimpmeters. Designed to measure green speed, the true purpose of a stimpmeter is to determine whether all the greens on a course are rolling consistently. Where debate begins is when the instrument's readings are used as an impetus to increase green speed. Proponents of faster greens hold to the theory that faster is better. The counter argument suggests that consistency between holes regardless of quickness is the true way to test players' skills. Making greens too fast stresses both players and the course. Provided greens meet a minimum standard of rollability, speed should not be a big concern.
Since 1978 green speed standards have been set by the USGA. Under regular play conditions, greens with a stimpmeter rating of less than 5.5 feet of roll are considered slow, up to 7.5 feet are medium and more than 9.5 considered fast. Under tournament conditions these standards are increased by 2 feet. Tournament conditions include rolling, double cutting and lower than normal mowing heights. Such conditions cannot be sustained more than a few days as they place considerable stress on greens.
To measure the greens at Links, I went to the internet and got instructions on how to build an old fashioned wooden stimpmeter. With some help from my commercial league team mate Randy Haugan, we built an instrument to all the same specifications as Ed Stimson's original device. Following the instructions as laid out by the USGA Greens division, I've been measuring the greens at Links. The first thing I discovered was that there are VERY FEW level areas on Links greens. Using a level to try and find the flat surface required for an accurate reading, I quickly determined that our greens have many tricky slopes and undulations. Eventually suitable spots were found on the putting green, number 2 and number 7 greens.
The good news is that our greens do meet the standard of consistency. All three test areas rolled to virtually the same standard. Initial measurements taken on Sunday morning immediately after cutting indicated a green speed of 8.5 or a medium speed rating. Subsequent measurements taken Sunday evening after a day's play and growth yielded a rating of 7.4 , a difference of 1.1 feet. Still good considering the recent dry spell and the fact that greens were rolled last Thursday. Over the next few days I'll continue to take daily readings to determine the impact of weather and our current mowing and rolling regime. My homemade speed reader may lack the precision of a true Stimpmeter, but it will definitely provide a sense of how the greens are playing! Be sure to check back next weekend to track how green speed may have changed! Until then may all your putts run true no matter how fast they roll!
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