Putting downhill vs uphill (2x distance of downhill length) poll

[saevel25]

6 minutes ago, dchoye said:

I take longer routine on downhill putts cause it reflects the pace I want the ball to travel.  Downhill putts take more time to get into hole than the same distance uphill putts 

why should it be exactly the same time ?

That makes absolutely not sense at all. 

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, dchoye said:

I take longer routine on downhill putts cause it reflects the pace I want the ball to travel.  Downhill putts take more time to get into hole than the same distance uphill putts 

why should it be exactly the same time ?

It doesn't take longer to read the putt. Why should the speed the ball travels have any bearing on you reading the putt?

[Lihu]

I prefer the downhill putt with half the distance. Putt slowly and let the ball roll to its destination.

 

 

On 2/5/2016 at 2:09 PM, vangator said:

There is one course I play that has a drop of 10 feet from one tier to the next with nearly a 50% slope.  They've put the hole right at the base of the slope on the lower tier.  If you're on the upper tier, goodnight Irene.  And visa versa.  They have the hole right before the precipice.  Talk about a frightening putt!

Which course is this on? FL greens were pretty flat from what I recall, but I only played a few courses in that area. There are some huge greens where I can see a 10 foot drop from one side to another. We have a few of them up to 6 feet over 140 feet, but not 50% slopes?

http://news.cybergolf.com/golf_news/helen_gone_asks_what_is_the_maximum_green_slope_you_should_have_at_a

Quote

It's frustrating for the golfer, his partners, and following golfers to have to line up a putt no matter how short. And, no one argues that it should be unusual for putts to "de-green" themselves, as summed up by Golden Age architect Harry Colt:

"In no case should a green be contoured so that a ball runs away from a putter like a swine possessed by the devil."

 

On 2/5/2016 at 2:21 PM, Ernest Jones said:

Jesus wept!

I'd like to see a picture of that.

Yes, that's really steep.

 

On 2/5/2016 at 3:41 PM, Golfingdad said:

You and me both.  There's no way that's not a giant exaggeration in regards to both the drop and the slope.  (50% slope is not even safely walkable)

I'd like to see them mow that!

 

 

On 2/6/2016 at 3:52 PM, vangator said:

I've used tool something like Google Earth that will not only show the normal satellite view but can also pivot to show eyelevel terrain.  Can't find it in my favorites.  Anyone know the tool I'm talking about?  I'd like to get a side picture of the green I'm talking about.

I know the tool, but that is a lot of slope. Are you sure you were pointing to the correct locations? There might also be a data error in google maps. You should measure it by hand and report it if it is really in error?

[dchoye]

It does take me longer to read downhill putt. I like to walk behind the hole to the low side.   With uphill putt I might not need to do that as the ball is already on the low side 

also I like to try to walk lazy into downhill putt and more briskly into a uphill putt as this puts me into the mood of imparting the proper initial speed on the respective putts . 

[Lihu]

3 minutes ago, dchoye said:

It does take me longer to read downhill putt. I like to walk behind the hole to the low side.   With uphill putt I might not need to do that as the ball is already on the low side 

also I like to try to walk lazy into downhill putt and more briskly into a uphill putt as this puts me into the mood of imparting the proper initial speed on the respective putts . 

You would only be walking half the distance with the downhill putt. Or 3/4 the distance if you take that extra trip behind the ball that you don't do with an uphill putt. Not sure why there is a difference in how you would read them though?

[dchoye]

1 minute ago, Lihu said:

You would only be walking half the distance with the downhill putt. Or 3/4 the distance if you take that extra trip behind the ball that you don't do with an uphill putt. Not sure why there is a difference in how you would read them though?

In my early post I was comparing equal diistance uphill and downhill putts. 

[Lihu]

15 hours ago, dchoye said:

i find it more time consuming and difficult to read putts when my ball is above the hole.  It takes 3x the time and effort as I have to go the low side behind the hole   Walk in circle rather than a straight line . Try to imagine a spot to aim at and let fate work the ball to the hole 

when I have a uphill putt I don't have to give the hole away. It's usually straight with little break. Some days I just don't have the imagination to read the putt  and I rather be below the hole all day 

Your original statement was to the OP, so I just assumed that you were talking about the same conditions.

47 minutes ago, dchoye said:

I take longer routine on downhill putts cause it reflects the pace I want the ball to travel.  Downhill putts take more time to get into hole than the same distance uphill putts 

why should it be exactly the same time ?

Sorry, I didn't read this carefully enough the first time.

 

3 minutes ago, dchoye said:

In my early post I was comparing equal diistance uphill and downhill putts. 

 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, dchoye said:

It does take me longer to read downhill putt. I like to walk behind the hole to the low side.   With uphill putt I might not need to do that as the ball is already on the low side 

also I like to try to walk lazy into downhill putt and more briskly into a uphill putt as this puts me into the mood of imparting the proper initial speed on the respective putts . 

All I can do is hope that you do all this wandering around while others are following their routine.  If you wait til it's your turn to start this process, then I pray that I never have to play with you.

1 hour ago, dchoye said:

I take longer routine on downhill putts cause it reflects the pace I want the ball to travel.  Downhill putts take more time to get into hole than the same distance uphill putts 

why should it be exactly the same time ?

This makes no sense at all.  The difference in rolling time is typically a matter of 2-3 seconds.  I can't imagine changing the pace of my routine to try and match the speed of the putt.  The entire idea is unfathomable to me.  My routine is just that, a routine, and it's the same for every shot from driver to putting green  The rhythm doesn't vary.  The only time I don't follow it is with a tap-in.

[vangator]

2 hours ago, Lihu said:

I know the tool, but that is a lot of slope. Are you sure you were pointing to the correct locations? There might also be a data error in google maps. You should measure it by hand and report it if it is really in error?

I'm not saying I looked at this green with the tool already.  I would like to though, but I can't remember the tool.  Maybe it's simply Google Earth.

If I can get done with work early enough today (before dark), I may run by the course to see if I can get the rise over run (ie the height of the upper plateau and the distance from the edge of the upper plateau to the bottom.  I hope it's this course anyway, but I've played so many around here. If it's the green I remember, it's near the road.  Probably not 50% but I'm glad I don't have vertigo?

I'll report back.

Edited February 9, 2016 by vangator

[Missouri Swede]

On February 6, 2016 at 5:52 PM, vangator said:

I've used tool something like Google Earth that will not only show the normal satellite view but can also pivot to show eyelevel terrain.  Can't find it in my favorites.  Anyone know the tool I'm talking about?  I'd like to get a side picture of the green I'm talking about.

 

3 hours ago, Lihu said:

I know the tool, but that is a lot of slope. Are you sure you were pointing to the correct locations? There might also be a data error in google maps. You should measure it by hand and report it if it is really in error?

 

1 hour ago, vangator said:

I'm not saying I looked at this green with the tool already.  I would like to though, but I can't remember the tool.  Maybe it's simply Google Earth.

Google Earth can do it (but I'm not convinced it's accurate).  I googled the question and found these instructions over on yahoo answers: 
 

Quote

 Best Answer:  O.k, so at the top of the window on Google Earth you have small square icons to do things, one of them is Add Path which looks like three balls connected by a string. You can draw a path freehand or click two points to automatically generate an as the crow flies path. 

When you have the path, you can give it a name then close the pop-up box. The path will be listed in the left hand panel under "Places". 

Right click on the name of the path you created in the left hand panel, and choose "Show Elevation Profile" from the pop up menu. This gives an interactive graph of the elevation along the path with Max Slope and Avg Slope shown at the top.

I tried it on a few of the holes I know well, and got this elevation profile on one hole:

But it's not right,  because I know the terrain continues to rise from the red arrow to the back of the green (instead of what it shows as a plateau at the end of the fairway and sloping down to the green).

Neat idea if it worked. Or maybe I'm using/reading it incorrectly.

[Lihu]

52 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

 

 

Google Earth can do it (but I'm not convinced it's accurate).  I googled the question and found these instructions over on yahoo answers: 
 

I tried it on a few of the holes I know well, and got this elevation profile on one hole:

But it's not right,  because I know the terrain continues to rise from the red arrow to the back of the green (instead of what it shows as a plateau at the end of the fairway and sloping down to the green).

Neat idea if it worked. Or maybe I'm using/reading it incorrectly.

You are probably using it correctly. I thought I read somewhere where Google is working on making it more accurate.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/earth/3Th8MuHzKtE

Read the paper as well. . .

 

paper2.pdf

[vangator]

I couldn't get out of work before dark.  Maybe tomorrow.  Time for a road trip.  The course is only a few miles from my house. 

I captured a picture from Google Earth.  I pasted it in this reply, but when I submitted the post, the picture disappeared.  Sucks.

 

Edited February 10, 2016 by vangator

[Lihu]

14 hours ago, vangator said:

I couldn't get out of work before dark.  Maybe tomorrow.  Time for a road trip.  The course is only a few miles from my house. 

I captured a picture from Google Earth.  I pasted it in this reply, but when I submitted the post, the picture disappeared.  Sucks.

You can also just post the name of the course and the hole.

BTW, I've played in your area, and know that there are some pretty grueling and huge greens like at TPC Tampa Bay. You could use driver for some of those putts.

[vangator]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

You can also just post the name of the course and the hole.

BTW, I've played in your area, and know that there are some pretty grueling and huge greens like at TPC Tampa Bay. You could use driver for some of those putts.

Yep.  The first hole at TPC looks like they buried an elephant.  I lost a playing partner on that green.

The course in the above posts I believe is The Bayou Club.  Checking tonight.  Not sure the hole number yet, but the green is next to the road.  If that's the course, I'll work out the hole number.  Their scorecards don't show hole layout, so I'll have to walk through the holes on the card.

BTW, there is (or was) a hole at the Corry Pa muni (North Hills) that could have a 225 foot putt.  That's over 70 yards!  They don't make like that any more!

Plus, the Links of Lake Bernadette has a shared green.  Haven't played there in a while, but as I recall the green was "U" shaped with bushes in the "U".  Had to putt to the bottom of the "U", then back on the other side.  Need to Google that later. St Andrews has shared greens but I don't recall any being like that.

Edited February 10, 2016 by vangator

[DrvFrShow]

While most of the holes are within acceptable parameters on my home course, a few have what I call too much slope for the faster green speeds that are around today. The greens were designed for another era. One has to learn all the nuances of these particular greens. Local knowledge really helps. With our modern faster green speeds they get very dicey. Honestly, I think they need to take some dynamite to 5, 8, 11, 15, and 18 and flatten them. The worst offenders are 5, 15 and 18. 

I like the quote of Harry Colt, "In no case should a green be contoured so that a ball runs away from a putter like a swine possessed by the devil."

This sums up why I prefer the uphill putts on those holes.

[vangator]

5 hours ago, vangator said:

Yep.  The first hole at TPC looks like they buried an elephant.  I lost a playing partner on that green.

The course in the above posts I believe is The Bayou Club.  Checking tonight.  Not sure the hole number yet, but the green is next to the road.  If that's the course, I'll work out the hole number.  Their scorecards don't show hole layout, so I'll have to walk through the holes on the card.

BTW, there is (or was) a hole at the Corry Pa muni (North Hills) that could have a 225 foot putt.  That's over 70 yards!  They don't make like that any more!

Plus, the Links of Lake Bernadette has a shared green.  Haven't played there in a while, but as I recall the green was "U" shaped with bushes in the "U".  Had to putt to the bottom of the "U", then back on the other side.  Need to Google that later. St Andrews has shared greens but I don't recall any being like that.

Well, the Bayou Club is a gated community, so I couldn't check it out. 

Also, I just checked for a green that would have a 225 foot putt, and I couldn't find one.  Either they pulled back on the size of the green or I was smoking something at the time.  Some greens are big and I remember reading that figure.

I also checked the Links of Lake Bernadette.  The "U" shaped green has a big bunker separating them.  Maybe that changed or I was smoking something else again.

[Ernest Jones]

6 minutes ago, vangator said:

Well, the Bayou Club is a gated community, so I couldn't check it out. 

Also, I just checked for a green that would have a 225 foot putt, and I couldn't find one.  Either they pulled back on the size of the green or I was smoking something at the time.  Some greens are big and I remember reading that figure.

I also checked the Links of Lake Bernadette.  The "U" shaped green has a big bunker separating them.  Maybe that changed or I was smoking something else again.

Are you going to share with the class?

[vangator]

16 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

While most of the holes are within acceptable parameters on my home course, a few have what I call too much slope for the faster green speeds that are around today. The greens were designed for another era. One has to learn all the nuances of these particular greens. Local knowledge really helps. With our modern faster green speeds they get very dicey. Honestly, I think they need to take some dynamite to 5, 8, 11, 15, and 18 and flatten them. The worst offenders are 5, 15 and 18. 

I like the quote of Harry Colt, "In no case should a green be contoured so that a ball runs away from a putter like a swine possessed by the devil."

This sums up why I prefer the uphill putts on those holes.

Do you mean share pictures?  If so, I've never successfully captured pics from the web and posted.  I'd love to because I have a couple of other topics that would be fun with pics (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).  Actually pics of golf holes.

If you know how, I'm all ears...I mean eyes.