Crowned holes!

delc said:
Today I scored a fairly average (for me) 31 points, but I had a number of putts that looked in all the way, only to deflect away in the last few inches. My playing companions also suffered in the same way. Our greens are fairly soft at the moment, so I suspect we are getting a slight depression around the hole caused by players tending the flag and retrieving balls from the hole, leaving a slightly volcano shaped hole. For friendly games only, we have been encouraged to either leave the flag in, or take it out without attending it, to minimise this problem, but it is obviously not working! My suggestion is to make the hole slightly (not massively) larger and remove the penalty for hitting the flag stick if it is in the hole. Then there would be no necessity to attend the flag for long putts, and you could putt the ball a bit more firmly at the hole without risking a lip out, so it will hold its line better. :)
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If I read this right you've said that leaving the stick in and not attending is already not working, so in your suggestion the only 'new' part is to make the hole slightly bigger

If all else is equal then doesn't this just mean the doughnut (when it happens) will be bigger too and moreover with a bigger hole size the doughnut will form quicker and easier than it would with the current hole? (as the side of the hole will be weaker and not as resistant as the current hole size)
 
Slab said:
If I read this right you've said that leaving the stick in and not attending is already not working, so in your suggestion the only 'new' part is to make the hole slightly bigger

If all else is equal then doesn't this just mean the doughnut (when it happens) will be bigger too and moreover with a bigger hole size the doughnut will form quicker and easier than it would with the current hole? (as the side of the hole will be weaker and not as resistant as the current hole size)
Click to expand...
How did you work that idea out? Any doughnut depression around the hole will be exactly the same distance from the centre of the hole as it is now, as that is where golfers will be picking their golf balls from the hole. Ditto attending the flag as the stick will still be in the middle of the hole. I am only suggesting a slight enlargement of the hole, say to 5", which will allow the ball to easily drop into the hole with the flagstick in place. What you say would only become a problem if the hole was about 3 feet or more in diameter, which is even more than was tried in the wide open tournament, when a 15" diameter hole was used! :rolleyes:
 
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delc said:
How did you work that idea out? Any doughnut depression around the hole will be exactly the same distance from the centre of the hole as it is now, as that is where golfers will be picking their golf balls from the hole. Ditto attending the flag as the stick will still be in the middle of the hole. I am only suggesting a slight enlargement of the hole, say to 5", which will allow the ball to easily drop into the hole with the flagstick in place. What you say would only become a problem if the hole was about 3 feet or more in diameter, which is even more than was tried in the wide open tournament, when a 15" diameter hole was used! :rolleyes:
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1st bold: No it wont

2nd bold: if this is your objective why not just make the flag stick thinner and keep the hole the same size, would you be ok with that?
 
Its winter golf. Unless its a qualifier its not supposed to be taken seriously.


Until such time as winter rules and shortened courses finish, forget about it. Just enjoy the walk.
 
Del you need to come and play your winter golf up here.

When we are on winter greens the holes are the size of big paint tin, you could have a birdie barrage ;)
 
delc said:
Today I scored a fairly average (for me) 31 points, but I had a number of putts that looked in all the way, only to deflect away in the last few inches. My playing companions also suffered in the same way. Our greens are fairly soft at the moment, so I suspect we are getting a slight depression around the hole caused by players tending the flag and retrieving balls from the hole, leaving a slightly volcano shaped hole. For friendly games only, we have been encouraged to either leave the flag in, or take it out without attending it, to minimise this problem, but it is obviously not working! My suggestion is to make the hole slightly (not massively) larger and remove the penalty for hitting the flag stick if it is in the hole. Then there would be no necessity to attend the flag for long putts, and you could putt the ball a bit more firmly at the hole without risking a lip out, so it will hold its line better. :)
Click to expand...
Derk..Have you thought about taking up foot golf?...Massive holes and you won't get the yips = happy days eh???
 
Slab said:
1st bold: No it wont

2nd bold: if this is your objective why not just make the flag stick thinner and keep the hole the same size, would you be ok with that?
Click to expand...
The doughnut shaped depression around the hole that occurs on soft greens is caused by golfers feet as they are retrieving their golf balls from the hole and/or attending the flag. I have already pointed out, the radius of this from the middle of the hole is unchanged, so your theory is just plain wrong!
 
Just for you

image.jpg

And if you want to play the game with bigger holes so that it is easier for as you can't putt or hit it long etc blah blah

Go away to Aus

image.jpg
 
delc said:
The doughnut shaped depression around the hole that occurs on soft greens is caused by golfers feet as they are retrieving their golf balls from the hole and/or attending the flag. I have already pointed out, the radius of this from the middle of the hole is unchanged, so your theory is just plain wrong!
Click to expand...

Fantastic, didn't think we could beat tee fitting but a back & forth on foot placement in relation to the hole rim or center!

Anyway the main point of my last post still stands, whats on offer is an ultra thin flag stick (made from a new material I've discovered called Tedium) that wont prevent the ball from dropping in the hole and therefore no need to increase the hole size as per your opening post... are you happy with that?
 
I played at a really posh club a few weeks ago and to avoid the problem they had those little remote controlled "drones" hovering above each hole with a bit of string coming down from them which was attached to a little hook on the top of the flagstick.
As soon as a group of players got to the green, the drone rose majestically into the air taking the flagstick with it. It really was fantastic.
And to make things easier for us, the drones, and the bits of string were coloured to show pin placement. Red drone and string if the pin was at the front, yellow for the middle and white (obviously) if the pin was at the back.
The chaps who were operating them kept well away from the greens so as not to disturb us, and they had fitted silencers to the drones exhausts so as not to make too much noise.
I wish all clubs were as forward thinking.
 
I've been there.
Narnia Golf Club for the mentally deranged

Smiffy, I think you should take this post more seriously and give it the consideration it deserves
 
Smiffy said:
I played at a really posh club a few weeks ago and to avoid the problem they had those little remote controlled "drones" hovering above each hole with a bit of string coming down from them which was attached to a little hook on the top of the flagstick.
As soon as a group of players got to the green, the drone rose majestically into the air taking the flagstick with it. It really was fantastic.
And to make things easier for us, the drones, and the bits of string were coloured to show pin placement. Red drone and string if the pin was at the front, yellow for the middle and white (obviously) if the pin was at the back.
The chaps who were operating them kept well away from the greens so as not to disturb us, and they had fitted silencers to the drones exhausts so as not to make too much noise.
I wish all clubs were as forward thinking.
Click to expand...

Coo Rob - you do drone on!! :lol:
 
3565 said:
There is a certain way that you should tend a flag and pick a ball out of the hole which you'll see it on the Tours by the caddies and players, If we copied what they did then we can reduce the amount of crowning around the holes..
Click to expand...
Can I ask a question about the way that tour pros pick balls out of the hole? Watching on TV, they all seem to lean on their putters and stretch to get at the hole. I had always - perhaps naively - thought that leaning on their putters like that must cause damage to the green.

But now you've got me thinking. I don't lean on my putter - precisely so as not to damage the green. But the consequence of this is that I have to stand closer to the hole to retrieve my ball. Does standing closer to the hole and not leaning on your putter actually cause more significant damage than leaning on the putter and stretching over from further away - even though leaning on the putter is going to put a lot of weight through a small contact area?
 
cliveb said:
Can I ask a question about the way that tour pros pick balls out of the hole? Watching on TV, they all seem to lean on their putters and stretch to get at the hole. I had always - perhaps naively - thought that leaning on their putters like that must cause damage to the green.

But now you've got me thinking. I don't lean on my putter - precisely so as not to damage the green. But the consequence of this is that I have to stand closer to the hole to retrieve my ball. Does standing closer to the hole and not leaning on your putter actually cause more significant damage than leaning on the putter and stretching over from further away - even though leaning on the putter is going to put a lot of weight through a small contact area?
Click to expand...

I could be wrong but I thought leaning on your putter to retrieve your ball out of the
hole was an etiquette thing.
Yet again shouting Fore is too but some forget or cant be bothered.
 
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