Putting - Putting Greens

An article by: Bobby Eldridge on 12-18-2007
This article has been read 6395 times.

Putting Greens

Long story short. 1968 Lehigh Acres, Florida playing in the State Junior Championship. I had 40 putts the first round and went back to my hotel room complaining to my mom about how bad the putting greens were.

She was tired of listening to me so she went for a walk and then came back to the room to tell me that the 83 I shot put me in 20th place. What wasn't fair was they let most of the other boys go down the street and use the other golf courses putting greens to putt on.

Of course they didn't but 15 other boys shot 78 or better so the putting greens couldn't have been that bad.

As though it was yesterday, she and I played a little game for the next few years when I played in junior golf tournaments. Whenever we arrived at a tournament we would count how many kids we heard complain about the greens. Every time we heard a complaint we would look at each other and say looks like I am going to beat him this week. We even wrote their names down.

Love Every Putting Green You Play

Before long I stopped the whining and starting falling in love with every green I walked on. Slow, bumpy, grainy, fast, no grass, too much grass etc. I have not met a putting green I did not like.

To this day, it was a life long lesson that I find can be passed on to anyone. If you play most of your golf on one or two golf courses and you struggle with the greens, find the club champ or the pro and see if they can give you some insider information that could change everything.

Don't misunderstand me. I have come across some very difficult greens in my day. But I have never missed a putt before I stroke it. I want to give myself a chance every time I hit a putt.

I liken it to a former Tour Player Dan Sikes. He comes to mind because he had an incredible career and incredible record at Westchester CC in Rye, New York. He must have loved the golf course.

Make it a habit and fall in love with every one of them.