How to Read Greens

How to Read Greens

Putting begins with confidence. There are a lot of different putters, grips, stances and strokes, but all really good putters think they’re going to make everything The question is, where does that confidence come from? We certainly have fundamentals (mainly hitting the center of the face), but oftentimes those fundamentals are dependent on an absence of doubt. So, what happens? We get out, aren’t quite sure if we’re aimed correctly or if we’ve picked the right line, and all of a sudden we decelerate the putter or try to manipulate our putter during our stroke. That’s why reading greens is an extremely overlooked skill to this game that needs to be developed. If you’re confident in your line, a lot of other things fall into place.

Most golfers don’t put much into reading the green. They take a look, visualize what they think the ball might do and roll it. OK, so that’s one way to play, and it might not be bad if you’re at your local shaggy-greened muny par-3 course, but you’re going to struggle if you don’t have some idea what the ball is going to do when you play somewhere more challenging. Below are a few easy rules to follow. You don’t need to act like you’re putting for $200,000 and read your 3-footer from every angle in order to read a green.If you’re smart, you can play just as quickly as you normally do, all the while draining way more putts and lowering your score quickly.

 

1. Pay Attention

 

This seems easy, but a lot of us aren’t aware of what’s going on around the green. Here’s the cardinal rule: EVERY TIME THE BALL HITS AND ROLLS ON THE GREEN, IT’S GIVING YOU INFORMATION. When you’re 100 yards out, you actually have a much better perspective of overall slope than you do when you’re standing on the green. Pay attention to all shots, watch how they roll after they land, see if you can decipher the overall shape of the green (back-to-front slope, right-to-left, etc.). Watch other players putt and how the ball breaks around the hole. This isn’t rocket science, but many of us don’t even take the opportunities a normal round gives us. Pay attention and you’ll get a much better feel for what’s going to happen when you putt.

2. Use Your Feet

If you were blindfolded and walked onto a green, would you be able to feel the slope? You bet. This ties into paying attention. As you walk around, maybe pulling the pin out and marking your ball, pay attention to your feet. They’ll give you a good idea of how much slope there is and what is going to happen with the putt. Close your eyes for a few seconds as you walk. You’ll get a good feel for the slope.

3. The Break Follows the Water

Greens are built so water doesn’t stand and stagnate. Greens drain. Use it to your advantage. If you get the chance, check out Hart’s greens after a big rainstorm. You can see exactly where the water drains and you’ll begin to realize exactly what’s happening on certain areas of each green. Gravity doesn’t lie.

If you’ve been out to Hart Ranch lately, you’ve noticed the greens are slick and rolling true (which makes them tough). We pride ourselves on our greens, and for good reason. That’s the most important part of the course (and what courses spend the most money on). There’s a lot that goes into maintaining green complexes, and it goes without saying that no matter where we play (or how many beverages we’ve consumed) we should do our best to leave the greens better than we found them. Hope these quick tips give you something to think about next time you play. Remember, if you’re confident in your putting line, you’re off to a great start.

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U.S. Open Preview

U.S. Open Preview

I’m not sure what it says about us that we have a barbaric impulse to watch the best golfers in the world suffer. On Thursday, 156 said golfers will descend on the Heartland, taking amateur-like 7s and 8s on holes as they battle waist-high fescue and 7,800 yards of madness. Here’s a little preview so you can sound like a dad on Father’s Day.

Defending Champ: Dustin Johnson

The Course: Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin, (35 miles NW of Milwaukee, actually pronounced mill-e-wah-que, which is Algonquin for “The Good Land”)***

Par 72, 7,741 Yards, Rating 77.9/Slope 145 (nasty)

Erin Hills is a new U.S. Open venue, which means they and the USGA will want to showcase it as a brutal test (why do we love punishing ourselves?). It has hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (2008) and the U.S. Amateur (2011). It’s a mix between a parkland and links course, and will be the first U.S. open in 25 years to play at a par 72. They’ve made the 138 bunkers on the course inhuman hazards, with no flat bottoms and plenty of restricted backswings. You’ll see a lot of players bailing out on what are normally routine bunker shots. It’s also the first U.S. Open to be played in Wisconsin.

The Field: It’s a major. It’s a good field. Only the top 60 and ties out of 156 make the cut, so you’re going to need to get really lucky to make any money if you play DraftKings. On a quick side note, much has been made about Phil Mickelson possibly missing the event due to his daughter’s high school graduation. As you’re probably aware, Phil has finished runner-up at 6 U.S. Opens and it’s the only major he’s never won. I say good on him. For all the bad acting, fake smiles and brushes with insider trading, he’s still an awesome dude. Way to put your ego aside Phil.

The Favorites:

Dustin Johnson (29/4 Vegas Odds): DJ hates Wisconsin. Well, maybe not the state as a whole, but he’s had some harsh misses. That being said, as always nowadays, he’ll be in the hunt. He just had a baby two hours ago as of this writing, so he’s carrying newborn swagger. Definitely a possibility, unless there’s a staircase in his rental or another vengeful USGA official.

Jordan Spieth (9/1): He plays great on crazy courses like this, but I just don’t see the firepower at 7,800 yards. It is interesting that he lost in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur in 2011, so he might have a bit more course knowledge than most.

Jason Day (11/1): I just feel like he’s going to be bitten by a disease-ridden mosquito before the tournament. He has all the tools to make it happen, besides luck.

Rory McIlroy (12/1): Uh-oh. This was my pick at the beginning of the year, so I suppose I have to stick to it. It can certainly happen if the putter gets hot, and it can happen by a lot of shots. I hate putting right now too Rory.

Jon Rahm (18/1): This is an extremely intriguing pick, and one many will be high on considering it’s pretty much a brand-new course for everyone. The Next Big Thing could contend, but I see a debilitating 9 on the scorecard somewhere.

Rickie Fowler (18/1), Justin Rose (20/1), Hideki Matsuyama (28/1), Sergio Garcia (28/1): For some reason, this feels like a Justin Rose tournament. He’s on a tear this year, with four top-tens and two seconds in his ten starts. The crazy thing is, his long-adulated approach game has held him back. If he finds that, watch out. As for the other three, I’d reverse Sergio and Rickie’s odds, and give Matsuyama a probable top-20. Sergio has virtually no pressure coming in, and he’s playing a course built for ball-striking, of which he’s long been the best in the world. I want to take him but will be too much of a wuss to pull the trigger.

Others to Watch: Byeong-Hun An, Branden Grace, Kevin Kisner, Shane Lowry, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Daniel Berger

Sleepers: Graeme McDowell (my boy!), Jaimie Lovemark, Charl Schwartzel, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch (based on great name), Tommy Fleetwood, Ross Fisher

Prediction: Rory, can I trust you? Probably not, but if there’s anyone who could roll a course like this, it’s him (and DJ). I should take Justin Rose, but I’ll go with Rors and hope for the best.

Have a fantastic golf weekend, and a very happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Hopefully you get a chance to play (the Hart Ranch Two-Person Best Ball is Saturday btw), then watch some excellent golfers complain about the USGA. Happy golfing!

***Hopefully you caught the reference

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How to Take Advantage of Your Membership

Take Advantage of Being a Hart Ranch GC Member

Hello friends! I apologize to the four loyal readers of this blog (which includes me) for the recent moratorium. We’ve had a busy few weeks here at the course and I’ve been out of town trying to advance my career.

First of all, welcome to summer! This is easily the best time of year in the Hills, and we’re officially rolling on the golf season. Since we have a lot of new season passholders this year, I’d like to give you a few tips on how to take full advantage of your Hart Ranch GC membership.

As a HR Member, you have reciprocity with both Red Rock GC and Elkhorn GC in Spearfish. You get a deep discount at both places ($35 for 18 and cart M-F at Red Rock, $35 for 18 and cart at Elkhorn every day). Take a look at our event schedule here so you can plan around the few corporate events we have this summer.

Also, Men’s League, Ladies’ League and Junior Golf are all starting next week. The Leagues are fantastic for meeting fellow members and playing (somewhat) competitive golf. Junior Golf is a great way to get your kid(s) started in the game. We have a lot of fun, learn rules, etiquette and swing and play tons of games. Be sure to sign up by the end of this week as spots are filling up quickly!

Brand new this year, we have a Friday Night Derby starting June 23^rd. Everyone in the Derby will go out as one group around 5:30pm. We will play in two-person teams in an alternate-shot format. Teams are eliminated as we progress through nine holes, until only one team remains at the end. There’s no commitment for the Derby, just call and let us know you’re playing beforehand (the event will be handicapped).

Also, Dustin and I will be available for lessons and/or fittings all summer. I’ll be teaching several more Get Golf Ready classes, and we’ll both have some more Saturday clinics. Get some lessons in before our Hart Ranch tournaments kick off on Saturday, June 17^th with the Two-Person Best Ball. Call for your tee times between 9 and 11am (other tournaments to follow through the summer).

We’re looking forward to another awesome summer at Hart Ranch. As always, feel free to call us with any questions, comments, concerns or queries. Thanks for reading and we can’t wait to see you at Hart Ranch!

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