Green speed

Also: stimp · Stimpmeter reading

How far a ball rolls on a putting surface, measured with a Stimpmeter and quoted in feet.

The number is only comparable to itself. A Stimpmeter reading depends on the slope you measured on, the moisture that morning, whether you rolled, and who was holding the thing — which is why a course's own trend across a season is meaningful and a comparison to a televised tournament is not.

Consistency across eighteen greens matters far more to a golfer than the absolute number. Nobody complains about 9 feet; everybody complains about 9 feet on the first and 11 on the fourth.

What it means for a small course

If you post a number to members, post it with the date and the practice that produced it, or it becomes a promise.

Fairway is built by people who had to learn all of this.

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