The putting green is, without question, the most delicate and cared-for area of the golf course. There’s nothing worse than confidently taking a shot with our golf putter, only for the ball to do something completely unexpected and land nowhere near the hole.
With blades of grass fine enough to offer virtually no resistance while we putt, it is essential for these greens to be kept in pristine condition if our short-game skill can be on display for all to see.
However, adverse weather conditions can have a serious impact on how our golf balls interact with the green, forcing us to entirely change the way we approach our putts. For golfers who are open to playing in the colder and wetter seasons, these shifts in putting style will be familiar.
Thankfully, there are measures you can take to give yourself the best chance of sinking that all-important putt, even if the conditions are less than favourable.
What can ruin your putting – and what can you do about it?
Damp greens
If you’re an early-morning golfer, chances are you’ve reached the green at the first hole just as the sun is rising, to find a thin layer of morning dew covering your route to the pin.
Alternatively, greens can absorb moisture the good old-fashioned way – with an unexpected downpour.
Either way, moisture on putting greens is a surefire way to slow down our ball and make it incredibly difficult to land the putt with the first stroke. As the ball rolls over the fine drops of moisture, they stick to the ball like glue, causing the ball to slow greatly with the more ground it covers – this is why it feels like putts on damp greens suddenly halt instead of gradually coming to a natural stop.
To combat this, the simple solution is to add a little extra power into your shot, to at least have the ball reach as close to the hole as possible if it isn’t going to drop in. You could also try switching to a golf putter with a larger head (like a mallet putter) if you have one to hand – these putters are often easier to produce longer, more impactful putts thanks to their increased size and velocity-inducing designs.
But be careful – hitting the ball too hard, even in damp conditions, will still result in it flying past the hole and possibly off the green entirely. But the more you play in such conditions, the better a feel you will develop for these types of shots.
Frozen greens
During extremely cold spells in winter, don’t be surprised if you find yourself putting on winter greens. These greens are in place to protect the fine grass on the putting green while it’s in a particularly vulnerable state and the grass is at risk of becoming damaged and dying.
But even in the earlier months before winter is in full swing, you may still find yourself with a thin layer of frost on the main green and be forced to face it.
Thankfully, your approach to frozen greens should be very similar to that of damp greens – the frost will slow your ball down significantly, meaning you need to add extra force to get your ball where you need it to be.
If it’s only a light layer of frost, you may not need much extra strength in your shot, but that’s something you need to judge before you make your putt.
Tainted golf balls
When playing golf in the rain, or after it has been raining, it’s normal for greens and fairways to be far less firm than they are in dryer conditions.
This may result in stray pieces of wet dirt and grass sticking to your ball after taking a shot and is especially likely if you’ve taken a large divot.
That’s why, if you’ve finally reached the green, before taking your putt you should examine your ball, mark it, and clean off anything that doesn’t belong with a cloth before you step up to the ball.
This kind of debris can easily cause your ball to veer off course, even if the debris is minimal, so it’s always wise to double-check if you want to keep your scores low.
The more you play, the more you’ll become accustomed to difficult greens
If you’re a beginner just starting out in the game, greens like the ones described above can be a nightmare to solve.
But by taking note of this advice and playing as often as you can – even in conditions you’re not fond of – you’ll earn a greater understanding of the way greens operate in less than favourable circumstances, so you can make the most of a tough situation and improve your game regardless.