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Cutting Cups and Picking Pin Placement


Peter Braun

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Changing cups is one of the most important jobs on a golf course. But why is this?  Wouldn't it be simpler to leave the cup placement the same all year? While it may seem like an easier solution and would free up man hours there is much more to it than that. Changing the pin placement has many benefits including: changing course play, reducing wear, and uses the designers plan.

 

Course Play: Golfer's Point of View 

By changing the hole to a new spot on the green changes the way a course can be played. Mixing up the level of difficulty of the pin placement on each green is key to keeping golfers interested. Why else would the members play the same course over and over when the course never changes? It's the new hole locations. The pin placement is what can make or break a golf round. Easy hole location may be fun to score low on, but if all of them were easy after a while the golfer will become bored and lose interest. On the flip side the course cannot have too many hard pin locations or the golfer will be frustrated making him think twice of coming back the next day. This is why changing cups is a high priority job. 

 

Why else would the members play the same course over and over when the course never changes? It's the new hole locations." 

 

Reduce Wear: Agronomic Point of View

Moving the pin location on the green takes the wear and tear of golfers to a different part. Since golf greens are so delicate the more people walk on it the more it becomes damaged. This makes recovery much, much harder. Golf course superintendents and greenskeepers have seen the advantages of moving the hole frequently. Grass bounces back faster after a long day of golfing when the hole is moved and wear is distributed equally among the green. If the cup stayed in one area then the grass would be much weaker from the stress put on it from golfers. To keep healthier greens superintendents will move the hole location.

 

Brings Design into Play: Architect's Point of View

When a green is being built the architect has a vision for how a hole will be played. The green is made to have character and allow for the hole to be played in a variety of different ways. He may want the bunkers on the right to be in play when the pin is next to them and allow for an easier shot when the pin is on the left. A hole could have different hazards on either side, water or bunker, that come into play based upon the hole location. An architect is thinking about every pin location when a green is shaped and a hole is formed. The undulations in a green serve a purpose other than making putts harder. Everything that makes up a green formation revolves around different pin placements. Imagine how golf holes would look if the pin location stayed the same. Maybe movable bunkers and other hazards would be made? Pin placement is thought of when golf greens are designed.

 

An architect is thinking about every pin location when a green is shaped and a hole is formed."

 

This week I will be changing cups every day. Robert, the assistant, said that usually the same person is put on changing cups as they will remember where the hole locations have been for the week. Some courses have computer programs that randomize the hole locations every day and the members can see immediately where the holes are for the day. Others use systems to spread out the hole location such as splitting the green into 9 sections and randomizing the numbers of the sections. Then the hole changer can put the cups in section 7 for the day and section 3 the next, so on and so forth. Though many courses rely on the employee to change cups by looking at the green and determining a fair position for the day. Mount Juliet relies on a hybrid system. 

 

As mentioned before, one greenskeeper is assigned to cutting cups for the week. He will cut the cups every day keeping track of the hole locations and seeking out the next days location. This is kept on a pin placement card to remember where the previous cups were. Then the next days pin placement is transferred to a new card and given to the pro shop so they can inform the members the next day. Mount Juliet does not have a computer system, but the holes are made a random as possible by the judgement of the greenskeeper cutting the cups. 

 

Peter's Perfect Pin Placement:  Guidelines to Making a Playable Hole

  1. The first step is to survey the green. I look for any serious problems like disease outbreak, or  animal damage as well as the overall health of the turf.bd2033ed1e1350a23ddf1bdeee12946f-.jpg
  2. Next is to choose the area for the new hole location. If you have a detailed sheet of the location use that. Here at Mount Juliet I look at the area the hole needs to be in based upon the pin placement sheet. I try to pick an area that is not too steep allowing a ball to rest inches away. I like to avoid damaged areas to greens such as heavy ball mark areas that look poor so the golfer gets an even roll near the hole.  d8b50df656304ab9f5e9eb8276afaf57-.jpg
  3. Time to cut the cup. The actual way this is done varies from club to club, but the basics are still the same. 316de0b4dacfbc7c986866e9a123b8ef-.jpg
  4. Place the cup cutter straight over the desired area and with your feet shoulder width apart slowly apply pressure while mowing the cup cutter to the left, then to the right. Repeat.
  5. Go down only 2-3" and remove the cutter. Set aside the top of the plug.33a60f6b382c2ca1573b89f2fd56e3df-.jpg
  6. Finish the cut to the desired depth and remove. Keep inside the cup cutter.
  7. Remove the cup and pin from the previous hole and put in the new hole. Some use a Par Aide cup setter, like the one  below, others push the cup down with the flag stick. Make sure the flag is straight (no one likes a tilted flag).04ed9a02cd20f183fdf314e8210f6fe5-.jpg
  8. Insert the cup cutter with the bottom of the plug into the old hole. Push out the soil into the hole.
  9. Pack down the soil making a flat bottom.7d83b274ef3426ee201543d0905f22fe-.jpg
  10. Place the top of the plug into the hole making sure the plug is not low and not too high. Sand can be added or removed to raise or lower the base of the hole. The plug should be flush with the surface after a tamp down on the plug. This can be done with a piece of pvc pipe or just your foot. When done correctly the plug will be hard to distinguish from the surrounding grass. 11e1b8ca39833c805ed9410cc27d6bd7-.jpg

 

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Every club has a different approach to cutting holes. I have never seen or practiced the Mount Juliet way but looks good and leaves a seamless finish. Really enjoyed reading this blog. Keep up the good work. #greenkeepingireland

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