Practice putting greens at courses - are they all worthless or just most?

[Lynchburg14]

Where else would you practice your putting or do you not just go to the course and putt for an hour?

I go to the putting green and practice but what I am saying is that, that putting green where I practice is not on the course. So even If I know how fast that one rolls, or how the grass moves with the sun, or how it breaks, it does not help me on the course. It helps me learn how to read the green and how I should putt but unless that exact green is out there then it's not the same.

 

[ogiebogie]

I go to the putting green and practice but what I am saying is that, that putting green where I practice is not on the course. So even If I know how fast that one rolls, or how the grass moves with the sun, or how it breaks, it does not help me on the course. It helps me learn how to read the green and how I should putt but unless that exact green is out there then it's not the same.

OK makes sense. I guess putting greens are just to get your stroke down if you miss you miss

 

[Lynchburg14]

OK makes sense. I guess putting greens are just to get your stroke down if you miss you miss

Yeah that is all I am saying. They teach you muscle memory just like the driving range. The good players can take that to the course and put it to work.

 

[jnug]

In my view putting greens serve the same purpose for putting that the driving range serves for swinging the other clubs in your bag. Surely you don't expect course conditions and range conditions to be similar.

If you get to the first hole and have not touched your putter all day up till then the chance that you are going to be happy with your putting on that first hole is pretty slim. So I use the putting green but I use it get a feel for my putter before I have to use it on the course and I will try to get in a small bucket on the course range before hitting the first tee for the same reason.

I do think people tend to focus less on practicing their putting than they should probably because they view it as less challenging than taking the full swing required for the other clubs in their bag. Concentrating on putting has made a marked improvement in my putting and is one of the best things i did for my game this winter.

 

[Oregon Golfer]

yea i find most dont roll as well as the actual greens - speeds a little off. But when im warming up im just working on my lag distance and stroke, reading greens and adding break is for the round.

+1 For me, my practice putts and chips are just about getting some amount of feel for my stroke, stance, posture, etc... There is so much to take into consideration with every putt that is different.

 

[birdsboro]

at my course the practice green is the same as the rest of them.... but i play there soooo much i don't normally ever hit a practice putt...

 

[bogey_russ]

ours is great and it simulates course conditions pretty well
except for the fact that you arent allowed to chip on it(which is a great thing) so there are absolutely no ball marks like the actual greens on the course
now if ppl would fix their ball marks on the course it would be perfect

 

[bogey_russ]

The problem with slow play is that the vast majority of us are not scratch golfers. If a scratch golfer can play a round in 4 hours that is a shot every 3 1/3 minutes. At that same pace, someone shooting 95 will take 5 1/2 hours. I don't know about you, but I am a 19 index and the only way I can complete a round in much less than 5 hours is if (by some miracle) I never have to look for a ball or I am playing by myself.

holy moly 5 1/2 hours?
i play on a relatively long course thats heavily wooded with lots of water features
ive played a bad round losing a ton of balls on an empty course in less than 2 hours thats 18 holes
ive played my best ever round at 6 over in a lil over 2 hrs
5 1/2 hours and ppl will be hitting in to you or calling the proshop/marshal complaining...
well thats on courses around here annnnd if you arent playing on senior members day(thats a good 6hrs... per 9) hahaha