Dear Neville,
The location of holes is a matter of blending fairness and challenge. The distance in from the fringe is generally expressed in terms of paces or steps, but this is just a guideline. When the sheet gives numbers, they are paces in from the front or side edge. In any event, the golfer or his caddie will independently chart the green, and yardage books use yards. The markers in the fairways use yards to the center of the green.
Here are some articles of interest:
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1. Determine the hole position. This is done by pacing the distances as set from the pin sheet. Say the pin placement is 14/8 left. Note there are several different forms for pin sheets. This is 14 paces from the front of the green, then from that point, step off eight paces to the left edge of the green. It helps to leave your container at the point of your depth position before you step off your left/right position.
Golf Course News Apr 2006
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10 Guidelines to Pin Positioning
Sunday, July 01, 1990 -
Many golfers participating in certain competitions have made complaints regarding the unfair positioning of the pins. Whilst the organising committee of a golf competition bear the responsibility of positioning the holes - that duty may sometimes be neglected or performed by an unqualified person.
This article on pin placements was issued by the R&A in August 1987. Competition committees of the various clubs should do well to follow the guidelines presented. MGA vice-president, Mr Tan Kok Kee stresses, "The first and most important factor to remember in pin placement is good judgement in deciding what will give fair results. In a competition played over several days, we should always bear in mind that the first hole of the first round is as important as the last hole of the last round. The old concept of making the course progressively harder round by round is fallacious".
Many factors affect the selection of good hole positions, but the primary objective is to give reward to a good shot and punishment to a bad one.
The following specific points should be considered:
Take into account, where appropriate, the design of the hole as the architect intended it to be played. Determine the length of the shot to the green and how it may be affected by the probable conditions for the day - wind, rain and the holding quality of the green. In this connection it is recommended that a weather forecast should be obtained from the local meteorological office. If rain is likely, holes should not be cut where water would accumulate.
There must be enough putting green surface between the hole and the front and the sides of the green to accommodate the required shot. For example, if the hole requires a long iron or wood shot to the green, the hole should be positioned deeper in the green and farther from its sides than would be the case if the hole requires a short pitch shot.
In any case, it is recommended that generally the hole be positioned at least four paces from any edge of the green. If a bunker is close to the edge, or if the ground slopes away from the edge, the distance should be greater, especially if the shot is more than a pitch.
Consideration should be given to allowing a fair opportunity for recovery after a reasonably good shot that just misses the green. On the other hand, the penalty for failure is something which a player must take into account in deciding whether or not to attack a particular pin position. Much will depend on the standard of the competitors.
An area two to three feet in radius around the hole should be as nearly level as possible. In no case should holes be positioned within three paces of a very severe slope or ridge or of a recently used hole. If the design of the green dictates that the hole be positioned on a slope, the hole should be cut vertically, not with the slope. A player putting from above the hole should be able to stop the ball near the hole.
Consider the condition of nearby turf, especially taking care to avoid old plugs which have not completely healed.
There should be a balanced selection of hole positions for the entire course with respect to left, right, central, front and back positions. For example, beware of too many positions on one side or the other of the green with a resulting premium on drawn or faded shots.
For a competition played over several days the course should be kept in balance daily as to degree of difficulty. The course should not be set up appreciably more difficult for any round - balanced treatment is the aim. The idea of making the course progressively harder round after round is one which should be avoided. One form of balanced daily treatment is to select six quite difficult hole positions, six which are moderately difficult and six which are relatively easy.
One should also try to keep a balance of using the left and the right of the green, e.g., first nine, four to the left, four to the right and one in the centre. The second nine should be similar. Also, one should vary as much as possible the number of paces from the front edge of the green.
During practice days before a competition it is recommended that holes be positioned in areas which will not be used during the competition and which will not result in areas to be used being impaired by foot traffic.
Anticipate the players' traffic patterns. Position holes for early rounds so that good hole positions for late rounds will not be spoiled by players leaving the green. On the first day it is essential that the pin positions should be close to the exit line to the next tee.
On the second day the pins should be in such a position that the players will be walking on or near the first day's position. This should leave half the green for the last two days. In match play a hole position may, if necessary, be changed during a round, provided the players in each match play with the hole in the same position.
In stroke play Rule 33-2b requires that all competitors in a single round play with each hole cut in the same position, but note the exception to that Rule. When 36 holes are played in one day it is not customary for hole positions to be changed between rounds, but there is no Rule to prohibit changing them. If they are changed, all players should be informed.
The greenkeeper who cuts the holes should make sure that the Rules of Golf are observed, especially the requirements that the hole-liner not exceed 41/4 inches in outer diameter, and that if possible it be sunk at least one inch below the putting green surface. Once the hole-liner has been inserted, the greenkeeper should place a board or similar flat object over the hole and then press firmly downwards with his feet. This provides firmness and prevents "crowning" - a slight rise of the edge of the hole. Finally, the edge of the hole should be trimmed with scissors to remove any grass which may be growing outwards.
Care should be taken over the repair of old hole plugs; it is essential that the plug is the exact height to fill the old hole, to avoid a slight depression or the possibility of scalping. Note: If a Committee wishes, it may issue a chart to players to show where the holes are positioned.
R&A Guideline 1987, from
Malaysian Golf Association
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Fairway yardages to front or to middle?
After talking to one of the assistant pros, Bob asks if the yardages are a little off since it seemed our team came up short on a surprising number of shots.
"Those yardages in the fairway are marked to the front of the green," the assistant pro tells him. "Then you add the yardage from the pin sheet to that yardage to get exact distances." Bob and I almost fell down in shock. We had played incorrect yardages all day. "Brad knows that," the pro adds, "he's played out here before." Lucky for Mr. Daugherty, he has left already. He thinks he has a bad back nowÉ..
Atlanta Golfer
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Tiger at Medinah, PGA Championship 2006, 1st round
Q: If these greens continue to stay as soft, where aside from the par 5s can you force the issue and get very aggressive with your approaches?
Tiger Woods: It all depends on the pins. Even some of the longer holes you can be pretty aggressive if you drive the ball in the fairway down there far enough. And the easier pins most of the pins were four and five from the side and I think we had a couple of threes, but also we had a couple eights and sevens from the sides. Usually they are all four and five and three nowadays. You had a couple easier pins out there. Those are the holes that no matter what club you had, I think you're going to take probably a little bit more aggressive line at the flags.
Interview
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Dear Golf Digest: How are pin locations determined? It seems like some superintendents wake up in a bad mood and tuck every pin behind a bunker. C.W., White Plains, N.Y.
Just got home from a tough day on the course? Don't blame the superintendent for your habit of falling for every sucker pin you see.
Most supers use a hole rotation that provides six in the front, six in the middle and six in the back, with nine holes cut on the left side of the green and nine on the right. "We strive to mix the pins up daily, rotating them clockwise for reduction of wear and variety of shotmaking," says Jon Shreve, superintendent at Lakelands Golf and Country Club, Brighton, Mich.
Because it takes three weeks for a cup hole to repair itself, the rule of thumb is for every green to have 21 pin placements-spots that are roughly flat for a yard in diameter.
One reason some golfers think they're seeing more difficult pin positions these days is that many older courses were designed with heavy contours for slower greens. "They were never designed for today's green speeds," says Golf Digest Architecture Editor Ron Whitten. "So you see a lot of greens that years ago had perfectly legitimate pin placements that are now considered unfair." One example: The Friday pin position at the 18th hole in last year's U.S. Open.
Whitten also notes that the return of hand-mowing has allowed bunkers and other hazards to be moved closer to the edge of the greens. (The triplex riding mowers commonly used in the 1970s and '80s needed a lot of room to turn around.) So a flagstick set at the edge of the green may in fact be closer to trouble than in years past. And though it's customary for a pin position to be at least three paces from the edge of the green, the rules don't prohibit something more heartless.
Not that some supers aren't above creating a little mischief. As one rascal admitted, "I usually don't look for tough pin placements, but every once in a while I'll throw in a couple just to keep the low handicappers happy."
Just remember to pick your spots when firing at the flagstick. Always keep it below the hole-or switch to miniature golf, where they never change the hole location.
Golf Digest Feb 1999
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1. Use a cup-rotation schedule. Rotating cup placements on a day-to-day basis is critical to healthy greens and happy golfers. A good schedule to follow is a front/middle/back rotation, alternating sides as you move in the rotation. For example, if one day you place the cup on the front right of the green, the next day you should place it on the middle left of the green. The following day, place it back right. This type of rotation reduces the compaction and wear that would occur if you left the cup in one spot for too long.
2. Choose the spot. Your rotation schedule will determine the general area for cup placement. However, turf conditions and undulations affect the final placement.
* Turf condition. Many greens have weak areas with less-than-desirable turf. If possible, avoid placing cups in these areas-not only because they make for a rough putt, but also because the area will recover much more quickly if you keep traffic to a minimum.
* Undulations. A good rule is to have at least a 3-foot radius of flat putting surface around the cup. Avoid mounds and swales as much as possible because these areas usually won't hold shots. A good way to find an acceptable spot is to putt several balls at the desired location. If the balls come to rest and do not roll away, the spot is a good one. Otherwise, the cup placement could make for virtually impossible putts.
3. Account for green speed. Greens generally are slower in the spring than in mid-summer. Therefore, a pin placement that is good in the spring may not be good in the summer. As green speeds increase during the season, acceptable cupping areas usually become harder to find. Thus, it is a good idea to have someone who understands the game of golf and cup placements cut the cups at these times.
Ground Maintenance Jan 2000
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A look at tomorrow's pin placements for the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst
The caddies are concerned about the devilish pin placements for Sunday. "They are evil" one remarked. "Most are four or five paces from the fringe. They are not the most accessible." When asked if players, when faced with difficult chips might play to a point five or six feet from the hole he replied "That's the game plan. You saw alot of that today and you'll see alot tomorrow. Defensive golf."
Another caddie noted "The worst ones are 7 and 8. Seven is back right and its scary. Eight is back left and its scary." Eight is where john daly took an 11 after hitting a moving ball.
"The only holes you can attack are 1-4. That's it" he noted.
USGA Rules allow pins to be placed as close as four paces from the fringe and two paces from severe gradation changes. Such hole locations will require players to play to safe areas leaving 20-25 foot uphill putts which they will then lag to two or three feet short of the hole and try to save par.
Jay Flemma Golf Blog
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Here's a good story on
Augusta hole locations, from Golf Digest's Nick Seitz (Apr 2005).
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
PuttingZone
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