Saturday, September 09, 2017

Walker Cup


A USGA official at Los Angeles CC is looking at Pin locations for the 2017 Walker Cup matches. The yellow device laying on the putting green is nothing more than a digital level that reads the percent slope of the area. This device is a contractor tool that goes by the name, "Smart Tool," which has become a popular tool for golf course superintendents.  We do have one at Highlands CC and periodically use it if we are unsure of the fairness of a specific pin location.  While the USGA has no rules for where pins can or should be set, it is widely accepted that a pin should not be placed in an area of a green that is greater than 2.5% slope.  With green speeds greater than 10' or so on the stimpmeter, stopping a golf ball is extremely difficult on steep slopes.