The Open

[codswallop]

I was watching some of the golf yesterday especially the putting.How is it when they have a putt of 12ft plus they can strike the ball so firmly and if they miss the ball only finishes 2-3 ft past the hole? If I played a similar shot at my local course and missed I'd finish further from the hole than when I started.

[murraymints]

Cos they are professionals that play for hours every day of the year !!

[cazzz1975]

The greens have a speed of their own regardless of the fairways, the greenkeepers use a stimpmeter to get the greens to a certain speed, you also have to bear in mind the gradient of the green, the lie of the grass. these courses are heavily worked compared to a local course.

most local courses have slower greens which are cut uniformly so subtle differences are not evident. Most pro's always aim to putt at an optimum 17 inches past the hole which keeps the ball on line without overshooting to a point where the next putt would be difficult.

[codswallop]

Thanks to you both,that was very interesting cazzzzzz