The Stimpmeter

The Stimpmeter - A Management Tool 

 

A golfer, named Edward Stimpson in 1935, designed the stimpmeter, he was convinced that greens were unreasonably fast and set out to design and build a device to prove it.

The original stimpmeter was made of wood, until it was redesigned by Frank Thomas of the US Golf Association in 1976 and has since then been made from aluminum; it was first used by the USGA later that year at the US Open in Atlanta.

The USGA Stimpmeter

Today, golf managers and superintendents use the stimpmeter to help them manage the greens, so that they putt consistently over the entire course. 

At Murrayfield the greens on the top side (holes 1 to 8 and 18) generally putt on average 6 inches faster than the bottom side, with the exception of greens 10 & 11 which are sand based and have similar putting speeds to the top side greens. The low-lying greens on the bottom side are generally slower because they are more sheltered, damper and have higher thatch levels than the topside greens.

Over the last three years the greens on the bottom side including green 18 have received additional management practices, with the aim being to reduce the variances between the two different sides of the course. 
 

These management practices have included more verti-cutting, sand topdressings, rolling and aeration, remember, consistency is our goal and not necessarily speed.

Using the Stimpmeter video below: