The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 4 June, 2014 | Page 36

Fore the Golfer: What’s a Stimpmeter? O ne of the most significant aspects of a golf course is the uniformity of its greens. Variations in speed -- whether from one green to the next or on different parts of the same green -- can do more to negate a player’s skill than can ragged fairways or unkempt bunkers. Most golf course superintendents are well aware of this problem, and constantly seek better ways to establish consistent speed on all their greens. The problem they face, however, is extremely complex. There are a host of variables that affect the speed with which a ball rolls on a putting surface. Some 60 years ago, Edward S. Stimpson, the 1935 Massachusetts Amateur champion, addressed himself on this problem precisely: how to achieve accurate, objective, statistically valid measurements of the speed of a putting green. The result of his efforts was the Stimpmeter. Mr. Stimpson’s device was modified by the USGA’s technical department in the mid-1970s and made available to golf course superintendents and course officials in 1978. The Stimpmeter is a simple, accurate device manufactured by the USGA that allows one to make a standard measurement of -- and place a numerical figure on -- the speed of a putting green. It has proven to be an invaluable asset to the game of golf and a helpful management tool for the golf course superintendent. 36 Connecticut State Golf Association