The ocean and the laws of physics.

[Atticus_Finch]

Can someone please explain to me in the easiest terms possible why a golf ball would be inclined to be drawn towards the ocean.
This was the way the US commentators explained which way the ball would break on the greens last night at Riviera. I've also heard them explaining it in Hawaii in the past.
Surely the slope of the green is the biggest factor in which way a ball will break, so why do they keep on banging on about where the bloody ocean is!?

 

[freddielong]

I always assumed it was something to do with the way water flows off the land into a body of water that shapes the contours

 

[algar5]

I have no ides as to why the ball behaves in this way, but all the greens at Aberdour break towards the water. Some are obvious, others appear flat and indeed some appear to break the other way, but they do all move towards the sea.

 

[birdieman]

I thought it was just a very subtle general slope of greens towards the sea that players don't see as Riviera is built on a hill. When you look at the greens they look flat but because there is a general landform slope to the sea players can't see the slope on the green. Little bit of an optical illusion.
It is just gravity, nothing to with water, the moon, aliens etc etc.

 

[John_Findlay]

Drainage. Simples. Most architects will have the greens sloping ever so slightly towards the sea surely?

 

[Leftie]

Murph will give you the difinitive answer - he knows all there is to know about golf balls and water

 

[pigmeister]

Its because of the grass. On certain golf courses the grass is very wirey (it could be bent grass but not sure) which gives it a grain. This grain alway grows towards the sea, hence the ball tends to be pushed towards the sea by the grain, even on a flat green.

 

[muttleee]

I find my ball is usually attracted to water, even off the tee! I never thought it was due to physics, but that's as good an excuse as any.

 

[Sneds]

Its because of the grass. On certain golf courses the grass is very wirey (it could be bent grass but not sure) which gives it a grain. This grain alway grows towards the sea, hence the ball tends to be pushed towards the sea by the grain, even on a flat green.

Really?

I done a quick google on the subject and this is what I found:

Putts break toward the sun
The grass on the green grows all day long, following the path of the sun. In the late afternoon, when the blades are at their longest, greens feature a serious grain toward the setting sun. Your putts will break with the grain. This clue is especially important when playing on long-blade Bermuda grass.

Putts break toward water
For obvious drainage reasons, greens will slope toward the nearest body of water. On oceanside courses, don't underestimate the natural roll of terrain toward the sea -- putts break especially hard toward the agua here.

Source:

http://www.golf.com/golf/instruction/article/0,28136,1581560,00.html

 

[roccokj]

Drainage. Simples. Most architects will have the greens sloping ever so slightly towards the sea surely?

Good point...
I always thought that greens tend to slope towards water after tiny tiny bits of mass movement over millions of years because the courses are above sea level.
I gave a quick search on the internet though and it seems like it is a myth. Its a myth!

 

[USER1999]

Hey, I only lost 5 balls. That isn't that many. I have done worse.

I hate water on golf courses. I can find it even if I don't know it is there. It's like I have a divininig rod built into my golf clubs.

Even my 8i breaks towards the water, never mind the putts.

 

[Spoff]

I find my ball is usually attracted to water, even off the tee! I never thought it was due to physics, but that's as good an excuse as any.

muttleee