Greens with Grain on them

[patricks148]

Playing at Trump Aberdeen this week and the greens there had Grain on them. only ever seen that on TV in Tournaments outside the UK.

Completely flummoxed me. i would say i'm a reasonable putter and hole my fair share of 10 ft and in. but not on these. It was easy so see the dull and shiny bits standing back.

if you had the shin with you on the fist few feet it was fast and hardly had to be touched it then hit the dull bit into the grain the ball would almost stop. putt would defy gravity and break uphill with the grain etc.

Anyone else ever seen this in the UK or even have it on their home course, if so how did you deal with it as i'm going back for another Freebee in a few weeks

 

[Foxholer]

Playing at Trump Aberdeen this week....

... i'm going back for another Freebee in a few weeks

H'mm!

As for greens with grain, not so much, but at an old club some greens were very 'mixed' grasses with different growth rates and leaf attributes. So, for afternoon rounds particularly, there could be some 'surprising' breaks!

 

[clubchamp98]

Not in the UK
But in the USA have lots of times where you can clearly see it's a left to right put on the side of a hill.
When you put it stays straight or even goes the other way.
Its very hard to see this if your not used to it.
I booked a short game lesson with the pro as I could not chip out of Bermuda grass and he taught me how to read greens with grain you just need to know what to look for.
This is one of the reasons the pros walk 360 round the hole to see the grain.

 

[patricks148]

Not in the UK
But in the USA have lots of times where you can clearly see it's a left to right put on the side of a hill.
When you put it stays straight or even goes the other way.
Its very hard to see this if your not used to it.
I booked a short game lesson with the pro as I could not chip out of Bermuda grass and he taught me how to read greens with grain you just need to know what to look for.
This is one of the reasons the pros walk 360 round the hole to see the grain.

main thing got me was the difference in pace, into was like putting in treacle, but as soon as it hit a bit down grain just took off

 

[clubchamp98]

main thing got me was the difference in pace, into was like putting in treacle, but as soon as it hit a bit down grain just took off

Yes very difficult if second half is down grain it can just take off.
Best tip he gave me was look in the hole the grain grows over the side of the hole and shows which way the grain is going in that area anyway.

 

[patricks148]

Yes very difficult if second half is down grain it can just take off.
Best tip he gave me was look in the hole the grain grows over the side of the hole and shows which way the grain is going in that area anyway.

if you looked very closely you could see it and from off the green easy to spot the changes, was just overriding your brain to put away from where it broke a lot of the time was very difficult. my mate had played the days before and reckoned it was easier the 2nd time.. i would disagree with him though

 

[Face breaker]

One of the reason why I (being a green keeper) prefer not to stripe a green, much preferring to blanket cut them...

I have seen balls that have been putted across the grain actually move left-right then left again as they've rolled across the different stripes...

Stripes are only a visual presentation thing but it always amazes me how some golfers whinge when the greens aren't striped up, if only they knew...

 

[jim8flog]

We have a programme of replacing/overseeding our greens with bent grass. One of the most noticeable points is that we now have to learn to read grain, particularly later in the day when the grass has grown a little bit and sprung up slightly.

 

[craigstardis1976]

Playing in the SW United States we encounter a lot of grain especially at the desert courses where I play. While it is true grain tends to break away from high points and towards low points or water, it also perceptively moves with the sun throughout the say. On a long putt, it can often be handy to almost hit the ball on the equator (hit it harder to allow for it) and the skidding of the ball tends to minimize some of the effects of the green on long putts, but it still has am impact the closer to the hole you are and as the ball slows down.

 

[Slab]

Most of the courses I play have a grain on the greens but I still haven't sussed a really good method of reading it (& it really can mess with putts of all lengths but especially lagging it)

Best has been the tip already given of looking at the grass round the edge of the hole

the staff on one course did tell me that the grain was always cut towards the clubhouse at that course (they might have just been messing with me or it was coincidence because most greens where higher than the clubhouse & even those on similar level have water between green/clubhouse) but it does seem to be true