My Home Course Changes the Green Speeds for all the Tournaments

[Bluenoser67]

Just wondering if its the same for all courses or just mine. Most of the Year we play a course with Greens running somewhere between a 7 and 8 on the Stimp but come the day of competition the greens are double cut and rolled so that we are playing them at a 11 or 12. Its bad enough when its our club championship - but at least at that one everybody is in the same boat. The one I hate is our Invitational where we bring in the best from the area who are used to fast greens and our groundskeeper hands the course to them because the local members are all instantly at a disadvantage.

A second question is that our groudskeeper says that our Greens are made of poa anna and that is the reason the speed is kept low most of the time because the poa anna will die if its kept at a 9 - 10 stimp. Any comments.

[Harmonious]

I've always felt that the tournament setup should be as similar as possible as the practice round. Generally, outsiders can get on the course at some time during the week before the start of the tournament. The green speeds for the practice round should match the tournament conditions, as much as possible. Like you, I don't see why they should surprise everyone come tournament day.

[jamo]

You should probably expect it. I don't get it, but courses like to increase the speed for tournaments.

[VMAN]

poa doesn't respond well to 9+ all the time. But it does work well once in a while and typically the super will bite the bullet a few times a year to get thosetournament greens. I'm on the west coast on Poa and we do it. I love when our course plays up to it's true potential. We just had a pro am and one of the pga pros who qualified for whistling shot a 78....small fast greens were responsible. I shot an 84, but they were rolling true.

I bet augusta isn't 12 or 13 week in and week out.