EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE PLAYING LENGTH CORRECTIONS AND OBSTACLES of uniform surface (a tilted flat area). Try to avoid concave or convex surfaces. Also avoid measuring crossways on a slope, as the ball will curl downhill. Roll the balls straight down the slope to get S(down), then roll them straight back up the slope to get S(up). To determine green speed, apply the measurements to the following formula:
GREEN SPEED CORRECTED FOR GREEN SLOPE S(level) = (2 x S(down) x S(up)) ÷ (S(down) + S(up)) In other words, the level Stimpmeter reading is equal to twice the product of the up and down readings, divided by their sum. When S(down) is two to three times S(up), the green is considered to be moderately sloped; when S(down) is more than three times S(up), the green is considered to be steeply sloped.
Section 8
9. OBSTACLES BEHIND THE GREEN
Obstacles behind the green are generally less important than those of a similar nature to the side or in front of the green. The following points should be considered when rating obstacles behind the green: • Statistically less than 10 percent of approach shots will finish over the green. • On long shots, the ball lands short of the target bringing obstacles in front of the green more into play than those behind. • When the green falls in the Transition Zone, the player normally cannot hit the ball far enough to reach obstacles behind the green. Obstacles that exist only behind the green should be downgraded in the rating process by applying the -1 BOUNCE (B)* adjustment and possibly the PERCENTAGE (P)* adjustment.
31
