McCord: Greens Are Like Putting On An Igloo

By Dave Shedloski

Toledo, Ohio – Igloos and indecision and fears that are anything but irrational.

The timeless, treacherous greens of Inverness Club inspire a range of descriptions, emotions and observations, but all of the blather leads to a consensus among participants of the 24^th U.S. Senior Open: the pushed up putting surfaces are among the most challenging that Champions Tour players will encounter all year.

It is not just that Inverness’ greens are undulating; it’s that some of the breaks are severe and others are subtle. It’s not just that they’re quick; they’re faster than they’ve ever been. It’s not just that they’re tough to read; it’s that they must be deciphered before players ever set foot on them.

"You play the golf course from the green back to the tee, trying to figure out where you need to be every step of the way to put yourself in position on the green to make a score," said Doug Tewell. "You’re thinking of the greens, the hole locations and the slopes, well before you get to them."

That’s the game as it had to be played in the past if a score of par or better was to be had.

"We don’t play many golf courses like this anymore," said Arnold Palmer ruefully before he departed from the grounds, having missed the cut. "We play a lot of new golf courses with USGA spec greens. These are old pushup greens, typical Donald Ross greens that slope back to front and have lots of subtle undulations that are tough to figure out. We’re going back in time here, and it’s a fun thing."

"These are unique greens," said Tom Watson, who was tied for second at 5-under 208 entering the final round. "The greens have a lot of bumps and humps and valleys that don’t seem to tie into anything."

As a result, even the shortest of putts are an adventure. And three-putts are practically expected.

"With the greens being as severe as they are, it’s very difficult to make birdies out there," said

	Tom Watson, hitting out of a bunker during Saturday’s third round, said the severity of greens has taken away many birdies.

Watson. "This is not a golf course where you go and you hit it 10 feet from the hole and you have a straight putt. You have a 10-foot putt and it may break two feet. That’s the problem you face playing Inverness."

"These greens are so hard to read, I had to call in CSI," quipped Gary McCord. "You have to do a forensic reading on these greens. We need to find out exactly what is buried underneath them and what is going on with those slopes."

It’s hardly a surprise that the greens are the primary defense against a group of accomplished players who may be older but still hit the ball as far – or farther – than when they played in the U.S. Open at Inverness in 1979.

Yes, the players have to hit fairways, because that allows the best opportunity for placing approach shots on the right tiers or below the hole. But fairways and greens are the preamble to the real battle.

"With these greens, they’ve just got you where they want you," said Joe Inman, who shot a solid 2-under 69 Saturday thanks mainly to 23 putts. "You’re just so defensive with your putting. You never know how hard you want to hit it because the last thing you want to do is get it 3-4 feet past the hole. You’re just never comfortable."

A final ingredient enhancing the discomfort level is the speed at which the greens are rolling. According to the USGA, they are rolling at more than 13 on the Stimpmeter, or two feet farther than they’ve ever run before.

McCord likened the combination of speed and slope as trying to navigate "putting on top of an igloo." He added that the question on everyone’s mind is, "How do you putt on a frictionless surface?"

Good question.

"These greens weren’t built to take the speeds that they’re at right now," he said. "I saw a list of how fast they were for other major championships, and they were, like, 11.2 (on the Stimpmeter) in 1993, and we’re at about 13.5 or whatever. So they put us old guys out here with all our ills and our dead brain cells and emotional dysfunctions, and let us try and deal with that. The putts are so fast they’re just vaporized going downhill. But you somehow have to negotiate that."

The player who does that best is likely to win the Senior Open.

"At the end of the week," said championship leader Bruce Lietzke, "the guy who was able to best handle the challenges on the greens will win. He might not have the fewest putts, but he’ll have done the best in getting in position and making a lot of key little ones."

Dave Shedloski is a free-lance writer. His work has appeared previously on www.ussenioropen.com.