Speed of greens

[clubhousehero]

I play a local course that is cheap but nice for the price. The only problem i have playing it is each green seems to be a different speed and different amounts of break. Someholes are fast with no break and others are slow with break. Some are fast with break and others are slow with no break. The airated some of the greens but before that the ball did roll fine and didn't hop much or at all.

Have you ever played courses like this? How do you read the speeds from green to green? Break from green to green?

I live in the North so grain shouldn't be a factor...right?

[denver_nuggs_15]

Generally greens do vary in terms of break. Not every green is going to be flat (if that's what you're talking about for break). Greens shouldn't really vary in terms of speed unless one is near water or another one has dew or one is bone dry, but for the most part, greens should have relatively constant speeds.
Maybe you aren't checking uphill/downhill and that could be the problem. What time do you play? If it's late, some greens may have grown a little faster from being in the sun.

[microcrayfish]

If you play the course often enough you should get used to which ones are faster or slower and be able to adjust. Ideally greens should all be the same speed but it doesn't always happen. There's a couple of greens at my home course that tend to roll a little faster than the others for whatever reason but I know that it's to be expected and take it into account when I putt.

[J_Bone]

Check the time of day and where the Sun is. Grass grows toward the sun and water. It's small, but it will make difference.
So, if your putting into the Sun's direction, it will be faster. If your putting with the Sun to your back it will be slower.
Break will be affected by this as well, but reading the elevation changes and if water is next to the green will help with break.