Horticulture Research Station

Using New Technologies to Assess Performance of Championship Putting Greens

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Abstract

Golf course putting greens are some of the most highly managed turfgrass stands. Expectations for how putting surfaces perform are set by players, spectators, and turf managers. A putting green surface performance is often measured with the resistance to a ball rolling across the surface (green speed). The greater the distance of a golf ball roll the faster the green speed. For almost 50 years the Stimpmeter has been used to quantify a ball roll distance or green speed, however, recently the United States Golf Association has developed a new technology that will measure ball roll distance with sensors in the golf ball. This technology, called the GS3, offers the ability to not only test ball roll distance, but also deviations of the ball rolling from a horizontal and vertical line (which tell how straight the golf ball rolled as well). Finally, the GS3 can be used to test how firm a putting surface is, with previous research suggesting a firmer surface would offer a greater ball roll distance. While this new technology exists, little is known about how various management techniques like the use of plant growth regulators or mowing frequency would affect readings compared to traditional devices.

How to Cite:

Harnden, M., (2026) “Using New Technologies to Assess Performance of Championship Putting Greens”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports 2025(1), 31-32.