Putting

[x-man]

Is it possible that some cups just aren't as receptive as others? I played a course today I don't play often and I had a lot of putts lip out on me. Probably happened 7 or 8 times. I know this happens I just never have it happen to me that much. I was hitting the putts solid too. Just wondered if some are worse than others or I just had a bad day on the greens. Thanks

[Whiskey84]

I know I prefer a nice, crisp edge on the cup, but the holes at my home track tend to get rounded off. I swear that helps balls lip out, as I have more putts break my heart there than anywhere else...

[iacas]

As the second poster said, it tends to be a matter of the "crispness" of the edge of the hole. Some holes have rounded (in) edges. This effectively makes the hole larger - putts that would not catch any edge and would just roll by a foot or two instead catch a little edge. You might lip out more of those putts, but you'll tend to make more because the hole is effectively larger.

The crisper edges have the smaller effective hole sizes.

Occasionally the edges of a hole are raised up a little, but it's really rare in my experience.

[x-man]

Thanks just wondered if it was something else or just an unlucky day on the greens or maybe a little bit of both.  They say the more I practice the luckier I get.  Another thing that could have effected it is that the greens at this course were quicker than the greens at my home course.  So the putts may have had a little more pace than usual.  thanks for the replies

[WUTiger]

Years ago, I talked to an ancient greens crew guy. We were talking about whether you needed to cut new cups every day. One item he offered: If the greens are damp, a topnotch greens guy will cut the cup, insert the cup sleeve, and roll the cup four directions with a baker's rolling pin. The rolling pin supposedly depressed the raised ridge created by pulling the wet soil upward. Needless to say, I haven't seen any rolling pins in greens crew carts recently. Old Tom Morris gets credit for inventing the cup liner. It seems back in the late 1800s, rich guys playing in tournaments would slip the organizers a little money so they could tee off in the afternoon. Without cup liners, the holes definitely were bigger at 4 p.m. than at 8 a.m., due to everyone reaching in to retrieve their ball and eroding the sides.