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Large Greens vs Small Greens

Small greens. When I eventually get on, the putts are shorter.

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I prefer smaller greens. The courses I've played with big greens tend to be less well maintained than smaller greens.
 
I’m not a great distance lag putter and I’m more comfortable with a wedge. But I’m probably more likely to get down in two if I putt by a small percentage. I guess I’ll go larger greens but it’s only by a fraction
 
Large greens for me. Would much rather be putting anyday lol.
 
I really don't have a preference as for which I like as for the fun of playing the game, probably larger ones will lead to better scores imo. That said I would not like to be stuck with always just one type or the other all the time.

But what im not understanding is what seems to be a very similar shared logic by many posters who are implying they would 3 putt too much on larger ones vs preferring being closer for the short chip around small ones over that. But there is a problem with that logic. In fact a couple problems.

Firstly...why is it assumed by a number of you that with the smaller greens you would be closer to the hole? In reality you should actually be about the same distances once your target area is missed. If you got a 50 foot putt well then you would have a 50 foot chip or pitch and you may actually fall with a short sided pitch as well given the small green. And secondly.....then you also just never know what kind of lie you would get for any chip/pitch anyway. So now you risk a poorer lie and or stance or both as well as having to possibly pitch to a tight pin. Thirdly, why is it also assumed its always a 3putt one way while also assumed its always an up/down the other way without still 2 putting after any said chip/pitch? I mean.....its no secret that Gir's are a key to better rounds and generally lead to lower scores and more birdie ops and that would hold true whether larger or smaller greens. There is a sound reason that GIr (with only some exceptions) is most always the goal as player stand on the tees.
 
I prefer smaller greens where it forces me to hit a quality shot. Larger greens can be tricky leaving longer putts with more variables.
 
Big greens as long as they are maintained.
 
Big greens on longer holes and smaller greens on shorter holes for me!
 
I recently played a course that had the biggest greens I have ever seen, it was a ton of fun and I 3 putted ones. But in my memory that is a rarity. Often times big greens mean multiple tiers and make it so if you miss in the wrong spot a 2 putt is REALLY good. Smaller greens usually mean more bunker protection around the green.....I am not a great bunker player but not getting up and down for bogey from a bunker is much less of a gut punch then a 3 putt.

So small greens by a hair.
 
Prefer larger greens. I tend to make a lot more two putts than a chip and one putt when playing smaller greens. I would expect my score would be about 3-4 strokes better on larger greens.
 
I would say large greens. Not a terrible lag putter and might get even better with my new :taylormade:?

:p

Also, large greens don't always translate to small landing areas. Done well, there's room for a large variety of pins that can really change the nature of the hole drastically.
 
Smaller greens for me

It makes you focus more on your approach and, to me, that helps you improve, so when I go to a course with large greens it feels a lot harder to miss them
I think a lot of this is because I grew up playing courses with small greens so it is what I am used to
 
I putt better than I chip. Large greens preferred.
 
I like larger greens because it gives you a bigger Target to hit but overall I think smaller greens are better for better tuning in your distances because you have to hit a smaller target and have to reduce your error. My home course has pretty small greens so when I go to a course that has larger greens, it's like I don't even think about missing the green.

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I prefer larger greens. They give you options depending where the pin is. Some you can attack and others you can be safer and not have to go right at but still be able to putt. Small greens mean you have to almost always attack and if you miss you’re short sided more often than not. I’d rather have the 40 ft putt.
 
TheDoctor said:
Smaller greens for me

It makes you focus more on your approach and, to me, that helps you improve, so when I go to a course with large greens it feels a lot harder to miss them
I think a lot of this is because I grew up playing courses with small greens so it is what I am used to
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But let me ask.... how often is your target area on a large green something that is as big as an entire small green? I mean regardless the green size are we not still trying to hit a similar size target area?
 
The main course I play has super small greens. I prefer the small ones as it helps hone my skills and have to shoot for a smaller target. When I play big greens I feel I can just swing away and it will probably be on the green somewhere. A lot less concentration.

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6ixOhFore said:
I prefer smaller greens where it forces me to hit a quality shot. Larger greens can be tricky leaving longer putts with more variables.
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And so, Ill also ask you something too.... You dont want to hit quality shots on larger greens? And there are less variables in pitching or chipping vs putting?

Im not trying to pick on any people here with some of my posts. And i know its just opinions but I dont get some of the logic.
 
I prefer larger greens. In most cases I'm still going to shoot for the pin, but a larger green gives me more wiggle room away from nearby bunkers.
 
I prefer larger greens. I am in Hilton Head right not and played Robbers Row yesterday with nice big greens. It gave me a lot more room to chip onto after I missed every huge green.
 
This is a good question. I think it really depends on the golf course. They can both be quite challenging depending on the setup. Generally when I play courses with large greens they tend to have 2-3 areas for the pin to be located and those areas are about the size of a smaller green. It's great if your approach hits that area of the green, but not so easy if you're not on that area, but still on the green. As far as preference it just depends on whether you think you can get a 20ish yard putt or a 20ish yard chip closer to the pin.

I do think a course with big greens can really make a stat like GIR less meaningful though. If your home course has huge greens a GIR doesn't mean as much. For instance a front pin placement on a tiered green with the front tier being lower than the other tiers can mean the good miss is short for a chip at the pin. Being on the top tier and trying to putt some super fast dicey downhill putt really doesn't do you much good even though it is a GIR.

I will note that I generally do not like super tiny greens as they really get chewed up since there isn't very many options for the pin palcement, they also tend to play the same all the time.
 
I had to ponder on this a bit, but I think I come down on the side of small greens. I am a decent putter and less likely to hit a small green, but it seems like most of the large greens I play have way to many breaks and things to deal with. I would much rather chip it up close from just off the green and 1 or 2 putt than have a 3 putt.
 
I like large greens because it all about personal stats at the end of the season. Just kidding.

Putting is my strength so I enjoy bigger greens.
 
I do like smaller greens as long as they can hold an approach shot.

A couple local courses you have to land short and bounce it on and hope it stays due to firmness.

I don't like to play that way.
 
I have played both and it is mixed. Larger green makes it easier for me to hit, but might have a really long first putt. I play a course that has small greens and while I might not hit lots of greens, the chips are easy to get close to pin for lots of one putts.
I would pick smaller if I had to choose.
 
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