Practice green - chipping aloud or not

[Garush34]

afternoon folks, just back from the club after a few holes and some practice. i was on the practice green with three balls and a wedge just practicing a few small chips when three women walked past and a gave a smile to say hi in passing, when they came back up one women said your not aloud to pitch on this green, to which i said sorry.

she went on the explain that there used to be a sign saying no pitching on the green and that i should go to the range to practice pitching, i asked how this could be done since there was no green there to practice on. i can understand practicing the motion of shipping on the range but how on earth are u gona know if it was a good pitch or not if you cant see how the ball reacts, which it wont cos the grass is too long.

so once she left i just started some putting, but it had put a right downer on my day and practice. i dont see how people can improve their games if they can not practice certain parts. To me they way she was going on was that no one could practice chips, which is stupid cos no one hits the green every time, we all need to practice our short games.

so if you guys were me would you take this any further with the club or just leave it and put it down to one memeber not liking what i was doing bearing in mind this is not the first time i have practiced chips on this green in the 4 months i have been a member there and she is not the first person to walk past me but is the first to have said anything.

sorry for the rant but just wanted other folks opinions on this, after all i was only practicing.

 

[The_ACE]

Once witnessed a huge debate on our putting green about this. The sign said no pitching but while some saw this as meaning only putting others believed it meant chipping was allowed as well as putting. Needless to say there was no definite answer but in general people chip ontothe green as long as it isn't busy

 

[Captainron]

I try and keep as quiet as possible when chipping...

Putting only for me.

 

[chrisd]

So you committed the heinous crime of not reading a sign that was not there!

Naughty you!

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Our course only allows putting on the putting green but has a seprate green for chipping bunker play and pitching.

I try and keep as quiet as possible when chipping...

What you dont shout 'Get in the hole' after you hit your shots?

 

[CMAC]

no pitching or chipping on ours otherwise you get the pseudo Mickelsons trying lob shots and either leaving dents all over it or thinning one into the lady captain ooeerr missus!

 

[Garush34]

So you committed the heinous crime of not reading a sign that was not there!

Naughty you!

haha yeah, i was kind of taken a back when she spoke to me about it cos i knew there was no sign and cos ive been chipping there when the club secratery has been past and chatted to me aswell as one of the greens keepers.

shes kind of put me off a wee bit tho, cos im a younger member at the club (21) and there arent many others around my age that ive seen so dont know whether she was just being moany cos i was of the younger generation to her and she thought shed try to put me in place so to speak.

 

[Garush34]

no pitching or chipping on ours otherwise you get the pseudo Mickelsons trying lob shots and either leaving dents all over it or thinning one into the lady captain ooeerr missus!

yeah i could understand if i was doing that but i was only practicing chips that went about two foot in the air and rolled out. i wasnt causing any harm

 

[pbrown7582]

We have separate putting and chipping greens along with short game area on practice ground saves debates like this which I have seen at previous clubs and can quite easily turn ugly.

 

[DCB]

Fairly common to see signs saying 'no pitching' on practice putting greens.

Don't think she was having a go because your a younger member. best thing to do is ask at the shop or ask the Secretary what the official line is.

Don't let this put you off though.

 

[MegaSteve]

I would say the vast majority of clubs I've visited only allow putting on the practice putting green [ie NO chipping/pitching onto the green]... In fact I can't place any club that allows it...

 

[Bigfoot]

We have two practice greens. one for putting and one for chipping.

 

[Little Jockey]

Message to snooty golf folk
"How to make an enthusiastic young golfer become instantly disillusioned"

Garush - I would have a word a discreet friendly word with the secretary for sure. Just to put it right, you can either chip or you cant, what is it? Then next time you see the lady you can either thank her or put her right right.

Chances are she is probably wrong any way!

 

[JustOne]

Is it really that hard to ask in the pro shop?

 

[Garush34]

Fairly common to see signs saying 'no pitching' on practice putting greens.

Don't think she was having a go because your a younger member. best thing to do is ask at the shop or ask the Secretary what the official line is.

Don't let this put you off though.

yeah i can understand that places have signs but i just think its weird that in the 4 almost 5 months ive been a member that shes the first to say anything about it, considering everytime i go to the club i always practice chips and putts.

i do wish that we had a second green like most of you guys do, been to some places that have really nice practice facilities, i.e. the west links at north berwick. maybe ill ask about maybe a second green being made in the practice area since the one we have seems to just be for putting, altho ive never seen anyone use it other than me so far.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Allowed on our green but you can only play chip and run and not anything resembling a flop or with any height. Had a heated row with some seniors (sorry but they were) who told me I was hitting flop shots. I had PW and the ball was travelling about twenty yards and barely got more than three or four feet in the air. I told them where to go and they said they'd report me to the pro. Suffice to say nothing happened and I just carried on once they buggered off

 

[Garush34]

Is it really that hard to ask in the pro shop?

we dont have a pro shop, but i just thought it odd that on a practice green i couldnt practice or should i say only practice certain things. which surely defeats the point of practice!! what if my putting is really good but my chips are the thing holding me back, by her logic i can only practice the motion of chipping on the range cos i cant get any feedback there as the grass if defferent to how i green is, and if i was to practice out on the course im sure someone would complain about me playing too many balls or holding up play!!

plus she was the first person in 4 months to say anything

 

[BTatHome]

Personally I hate being on a green putting when someone is chipping onto it, unless you have a huge green the risk of someone thinning one right at you is too risky.

To the OP, nobody on here can tell you what is correct it depends entirely on your clubs rules.

 

[Garush34]

Personally I hate being on a green putting when someone is chipping onto it, unless you have a huge green the risk of someone thinning one right at you is too risky.

To the OP, nobody on here can tell you what is correct it depends entirely on your clubs rules.

at teh time i was the only one on the green people were just walking past, and i know no one can i just wanted other peoples opinions

 

[JustOne]

we dont have a pro shop, but i just thought it odd that on a practice green i couldnt practice or should i say only practice certain things. which surely defeats the point of practice!! what if my putting is really good but my chips are the thing holding me back, by her logic i can only practice the motion of chipping on the range cos i cant get any feedback there as the grass if defferent to how i green is, and if i was to practice out on the course im sure someone would complain about me playing too many balls or holding up play!!

plus she was the first person in 4 months to say anything

I have seen practice greens with the 'No Chipping' signs, if you haven't got one then I'd guess it's up to you. If I got collared by the secretary and said I wasn't hitting flop shots and was only using one edge of the practice green I'd expect to (at least) not get a total rollocking.