How do you putt these greens?

[bigoak]

3rd week in Florida and these greens are driving me nuts.  any clues?

[Harmonious]

If you are not used to bermuda greens, you MUST always be aware of the grain.  It will affect your putts more than slope, in many cases.  Don't know exactly what problems you have been having, but it has taken me more than a couple of years to get a real feel on bermuda greens.  That includes chipping as well as putting.

[Lefty-Golfer]

Originally Posted by bigoak

3rd week in Florida and these greens are driving me nuts.  any clues?

if you see a light green sheen from behind your ball you are with the grain and fast, a dark green color is into the grain and slow. the break also changes with and against the grain. if the have a putt breaking with the grain it will move quite a bit more....once you learn those two things the greens will become no problem.

it does take some trial and error to learn how much the grain will come into to play but knowing what you are looking at is most of the battle.

[kpaulhus]

To add onto what has been said, with this cold weather the greens are not growing right now. Everything is much faster than usual. I am so used to putting on Fl greens that when I went to Pinehurst and putted on Bent grass I was all over the place. 4 putted from 20 feet because I could not get my distance control down.

[Chief Broom]

Also go up to the cup and look for the edge that is rougher and scraggly (for lack of a better word).  That will tell you the direction of the grain around the cup (the grain goes in the direction of where this rough edge is pointing away from the cup).

[The Road Dog]

Originally Posted by bigoak

3rd week in Florida and these greens are driving me nuts.  any clues?

Well just what part is getting you down?

I played a course for the first time in about 8 months last week. They had changed the grass on their greens in the fall of 09' and the last time I played they still hadn't gotten them into good shape. Well they must have gotten a new greens keeper since that last round.  The greens were a very dark green and I thought they looked sickly.  On the first hole I was on in three and went to stroke my @40' putt, the ball shot across the green and off the edge. Second putt was almost as bad, damn that grass was fast.

I couldn't dial my putting stroke in for about 5 holes, but then I got in the groove and started lipping the cup, with the ball still going too fast.  I thought it was fun to see what I imagine a pro level green plays like.  So now I'll have to get back out there and play it a few more times.

[kpaulhus]

Where are you in FL? That may also play a factor. The greens in Jacksonville are in better condition than those in Tampa from what I have seen. (The overall quality of golf is better in Jax IMO)

[plum]

ive always had a tough time putting on those greens. take me a couple rounds to kinda get used to it. but im not a good putter to begin with