COVID Putting - Easier, Harder, or No Change

[bkuehn1952]

My experience with the various technique for shallowing the hole is limited.  We just recently came off lockdown in the Mitten state.  Up to this point, I have only played with upside down hole liners and pool noodles.  Anecdotally I have heard that raised liners seems to visually help "holing" putts.

None of the techniques allow balls to stay in the hole as often as a normal golf hole.  The upside down liner has been the best approach for me as long as the liner is sunk a bit down into the green.  A few times the greenkeeper did not sink the liner much and balls would just roll over the liner.  My one experience with the pool noodle was not good.  The course had the noodle level with the green surface or, in a few instances, slightly above the surface.  Balls were repelled by the noodle.

My very early conclusion is my frequency of "holing" putts is slightly worse.  From a distance there is no change.  From 10 feet in, however, I find the set-ups a bit distracting.  I generally take the flagstick out from 10 feet in as I figure it won't really help or hurt my effort on that short of a putt.  So leaving the flagstick for short putts will take some time to be comfortable.

Edited May 8, 2020 by bkuehn1952
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[dennyjones]

I've played in the past few weeks with cups raised and ones with a pool noodle in the hole.   I feel that the raised cup gives a different perspective and an easier targeting area for putts.   Long putts with the raised cups just seems easier.   We've been putting with the flagstick in since the rule change so the pool noodle and flagstick in place is no different than usual.  

[CarlSpackler]

I voted no change, but maybe I shouldn't have. I seem to be having quite a few more 3 putts. I honestly think it's just me. Maybe someday Happy will learn how to putt.

[Piz]

I've only played two courses.  One seemed about the same.  The other has very shallow holes and the ball is not captured as readily.  It's the same for everyone so no big deal.  That said...I would prefer that the holes be at least as deep as half the diameter of the ball.

[klineka]

I voted that some are easier/harder. 

A couple courses I have played have inserted a plastic/metal pipe that sticks up a few inches out of the hole so the the ball doesnt even go in (see pic below) which I felt was easier, it looked like I had a much larger target to aim at and gave me a lot more confidence on short putts. I don't have a large enough sample size to tell if it made a difference in my scores, but mentally I think it makes it easier.

The courses that I have played that have the pool noodle insert have all been below the hole enough that the ball goes into hole and stays there the majority of the time, so that makes putting feel the same to me. 

[iacas]

Since I know when a putt is going to go in or not, I voted for no change.

Yes, if you count anything that touches a raised cup liner, it's "easier" - but those putts wouldn't have gone in, so I'm not counting those as holed.

NLU did an Instagram story where they posited raised cups were worth four shots a round. I think they must not be following the USGA's advice on whether the putt would have actually gone in or not.

[billchao]

I’ve talked about it in another topic, but I’m not seeing a difference because I can tell whether a putt would go in or not.

3 hours ago, dennyjones said:

I feel that the raised cup gives a different perspective and an easier targeting area for putts.   Long putts with the raised cups just seems easier. 

That’s interesting because I’ve spoken to other people who have told me the same thing. For me it makes no difference because I’m not aiming at the hole anyway and if there’s an advantage for distance control via depth perception due to the hole being more visible, it’s been negated thus far by the greens being shaggy and running slow.

[gbogey]

3 hours ago, dennyjones said:

I've played in the past few weeks with cups raised and ones with a pool noodle in the hole.   I feel that the raised cup gives a different perspective and an easier targeting area for putts.   Long putts with the raised cups just seems easier.   We've been putting with the flagstick in since the rule change so the pool noodle and flagstick in place is no different than usual.  

I agree that raised cups seem easier - it just looks bigger.  I see no difference in swim noodles or upside down liners as long as they are done properly.  As I've said, I'm okay with that being permanent.

[DaveP043]

I haven't played with a raised cup liner, but that is the only configuration that could make it "easier".  From what I've read, some places with raised cups are defining a "make" as any putt that hits the liner, which expands the hole greatly.  This is a case where I might have a score used for betting or competition purposes, and a higher "most likely" score for handicap posting.  All my my "covid golf" has been played with a pool noodle insert that stops the ball from going any more than about half-a-ball depth.  I suppose its possible that the noodle could reject a putt that otherwise would have been holed, but I haven't seen it happen.

So my vote, different methods could yield different results.

[sjduffers]

I have only played twice with the post-COVID adaptations and both times it was some foam filling the whole hole around the flagstick, sitting at 3/4 to 1" below the surface, so essentially half the ball stays above ground and half is below and it's easy to pick up without touching anything.

I have to say it didn't change anything for me, as I usually get the ball to die in the hole or go very slightly past, not a firm putt and at that speed, the ball does not bounce back out. I also normally leave the flagstick in, unless it is leaning towards me or to the sides, it is buffeted by the wind or the flagstick shadow is on or very near my line (the shadow is straight but my line may not be...).

Both of these factors (speed and flagstick in) result in no change at all for me. I haven't yet seen a raised cup: those might be easier to hit the liner, but not all putts hitting the liner would go in, so if I am honest about those putts and not counting them as good when they weren't, there probably is no change either.

[Patch]

36 holes so far with inserts, and I am not seeing any change in my putting stats. 

On another note I have seen a few golfers take advantage of the inserts, by counting putts made that probably would have not gone in due to excessive ball speed. Then again, new rules are new rules. No big deal. 

[iacas]

37 minutes ago, Patch said:

Then again, new rules are new rules.

Those aren’t the new rules though.

[Bonvivant]

^^ If they are counting putts that wouldn't have gone in as doing such, they are just cheaters.

[jamo]

The pool noodles are the same. The one course I play that’s been using upside-down cups (still below the surface) are tougher, even if it’s mostly mental. (The few obvious ones that hit the center and pop out we’ve been counting.)

[Mr Puddle]

We haven't been able to play the best part of two months in the UK, however for a few weeks prior to the lock down clubs had turned the cups up side down. It was close to impossible to putt a ball. Even at the lowest speed the ball would bounce off of the pin and come out of a hole that was a quarter of an inch deep. There must be better ways, but my club hadn't managed to figure it out

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, Mr Puddle said:

We haven't been able to play the best part of two months in the UK, however for a few weeks prior to the lock down clubs had turned the cups up side down. It was close to impossible to putt a ball. Even at the lowest speed the ball would bounce off of the pin and come out of a hole that was a quarter of an inch deep. There must be better ways, but my club hadn't managed to figure it out

Lowest speed should be considered holed no?

[DaveP043]

10 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

^^ If they are counting putts that wouldn't have gone in as doing such, they are just cheaters.

A club or a competition may define a shot that strikes a raised cup as a holed.  If so, counting putts made this way is not cheating at all, its playing by the rules in effect.  That doesn't mean the player should use the same criteria for handicap posting, they should follow the "most likely score" clarification that the USGA issued.  A putt could be holed by the first criteria, but count as "not holed" for handicap posting, and its all within the rules.

[Yukari]

I've seen many putts that would have stayed in but bounced out when foam is in the cup.  They usually count those as being holed.  

However, there were some putts with a pretty good speed that bounced out, which were hard to tell if they would have horse-shoed out.  Of course the guys who hit the putt say it was holed, and those with $ riding on it say no.