As discussed previously, I recently created a pin sheet for my staff to use when setting pin locations for the day. This involved screen shooting the Google Earth images of all 18 greens and cropping them to fit all 18 photos, 9 on the front and 9 on the back of a piece of paper. This laminated sheet is then taken every morning with the course set up person. There are a total of 9 days, the maximum number of pins on several of our greens. Some greens have less than 9 locations, meaning a couple of the hole locations on a given green may be used 2x in the 9 day period (A good green has 9 pin locations, 3 across the back, 3 across the middle and 3 across the front). This pin sheet is used only for staff at this point, but in the future the program may be expanded if the golf and green committees wish too do so.
Cuppable area (when building a green) is important to offer variety for the golfer but it also allows the green time to heal where traffic is most concentrated. Our membership is very vocal to staff about what they feel is a good or bad pin location. Some members can be very abrasive when communicating this to staff. Over time, this led to staff keeping the pins in areas that were "safe zones," or areas they wouldn't be ridiculed. On some greens, this may have only been 2-3 pin locations. Of course, this led to mundane golf with members putting to the same 2-3 spots several times a week. This pin sheet assigns a number to every hole location, and I mixed up the pins to offer a variety for that day. It allows me, the super, to bear the brunt of the criticism of where each hole location is on a given day.
So what determines the validity of a legit hole location? After all, I am confronted daily by someone who says, "that's not a fair hole location." Before we get into that, here are a few facts that we all need to accept regarding pins:
1. The pin will never be less than a flagstick length from the collar. While there is no formal rule on any of this stuff, these are just my beliefs.
2. There is a big difference between an unfair hole location vs. a challenging hole location. Just because one or two golfers 3 putted a hole, doesn't mean it is a bad hole location. Ever hole location will not lead to an automatic 2 putt. It sounds simple, but once you spend time in my shoes, you would be shocked to hear the opinions of some golfers! The same folks who use the "severe greens protect par" rationale are often times the ones who expect the course to play easiest. Oakmont CC, in Pittsburgh PA, is a difficult golf course because most of the greens slope from front to back. This makes stopping your approach shot rather difficult. Golfers tend to develop these standards in their mind like; all greens have to slope back to front, all tees must be stair stepped as you get farther away. Golf Course architecture has no rules and similarly, the USGA has no set guidelines for hole locations.
3. As green speed increases, cuppable area decreases. When Highlands CC greens exceed 11ft. on the stimpmeter, we loose a considerable amount of cuppable area. If you think about golf course architecture historically, some architects were known for dramatic green contours but were created during the time when greens were being mowed at 1/4" (today we mow at well under 1/8"). It was a time when the USGA considered green speeds of 6-8 feet in the 'very fast' category. Today, that wouldn't be acceptable for the middle of winter. While the reading obtained from a stimpmeter isn't a speed (as in mph or feet/second) it is actually the measure of friction and how far a ball will roll on a surface after being release from a given height. So think about driving your car down the Gorge Road (to Franklin NC) going 50 mph the whole way with no brakes. Its sounds near impossible, right? Now what if we take the same "speed" and drive 50 mph on I-85 to Atlanta. Simply put, it's not fast enough. You can see green speed needs to be taken in context to the putting surface and other factors. What works at one course, may not work everywhere else. Superintendents have a tremendous impact on pace of play with several aspects of course setup.
Furthermore, the stimpmeter was developed in the 1970's as a tool for superintendents to check the consistency of greens on the golf course. It was never intended to be the standard of measuring how one course greens compare to that of the course down the road. Sadly, this is what it has become. It's gotten to the point where some golfers consider a course to be in poor condition because the greens weren't rolling "X ft."
So what makes a "FAIR" pin location?
At Highlands CC, we go by the 2.5% rule. A fair pin location is an area the consists of 2.5% slope or less and the pin is surrounded by a 8-10' radius of similar slope. The "Smart Tool" pictured below, shows how we are able to measure percent slope. In a recent USGA video, one of their agronomists setting pins at the US Open said 3% is the safe zone. Augusta National has gone with 2.5%. To understand slope a little better and put this into perspective, consider these facts:
The SmartTool is used to measure % slope. The digital screen gives the slope measure from this 3' long device.
*All of the tees on the golf course are built to 1% slope to allow for surface water removal. 1% slope is not noticeable to the human eye.
*The 2nd green has a maximum slope of 11.5% on the left side of the green.
*The hillside on #3 fairway is 14.5% slope.
*The slope of the fairway on #8 from left to right, that kicks balls to the right is 7.5% slope.
*The slope on the middle of the 12th green varies from 7% to 12%.
*The slope of the fairway on #8 from left to right, that kicks balls to the right is 7.5% slope.
*The slope on the middle of the 12th green varies from 7% to 12%.
*The dreaded slope on the approach on #11, is 23.7% slope!
*The back left pin location on #14 green is 2.6% slope. I get more complaints about this pin. It is difficult no doubt, but fair.
2.6% slope on the back left #14
Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of what is involved in determining fair pin placements and the science behind it.