For many golfers, it’s green speed. Traditionally, people have believed that a good golf course must have fast greens, while slow greens indicate poor maintenance. But for the people who actually care for the turf — the superintendents — keeping greens in top condition isn’t simply about speed.

That’s exactly what Chad Allen, former superintendent at The Club at Chatham Hills and an 8-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), wants golfers to understand.

Q: What’s the most important agronomic concept you wish golfers understood?

Allen:

People have always talked about “green speed” as the number one standard. Courses are often judged by how fast or slow their greens roll. But in reality, that’s completely wrong.

The USGA introduced a tool called the GS3 ball, which I’ve used at Chatham Hills. It measures smoothness, trueness, firmness, and finally, speed — in that order.

We learned that if a green has good smoothness, trueness, and firmness, then speed almost doesn’t matter — it doesn’t significantly affect the actual playing quality of the surface.

Many golfers obsessed with speed will say, “These are the fastest greens I’ve ever played.” And I’ll tell them, “No, they’re not — they’re just the smoothest greens you’ve ever played.”

From an agronomic standpoint, you have to balance all factors in turf maintenance, not just focus on speed.

Q: That’s fascinating — so ‘speed’ is often misunderstood?

Allen:

We once worked with a man named John Riley, and instead of calling it “speed,” he called it “farness.” Because in reality, what most people measure is how far the ball rolls — not how fast it travels.

The Stimpmeter measures distance, not true speed.

With GS3, we’re learning something new: it measures how quickly the ball comes to a stop, not how far it rolls. Those are two entirely different things. GS3 focuses on stop speed, not roll-out distance.

We’re trying to shift that mindset, because not every golf course can (or should) maintain ultra-high speeds. It’s also a matter of budget — the shorter you mow and the more precise the care, the higher the cost. And realistically, not every course wants to chase a Stimpmeter reading of 13.

On classic “Golden Age” courses, for instance, greens are heavily contoured. If they roll too fast, it ruins the architecture — you’d be left with only two or three possible pin placements.

So, if we can change the mindset from “Speed is everything” to “Speed matters, but smoothness, trueness, and firmness matter just as much”, that’s the right direction for golf course management.

Why Green Quality Is More Than Just Speed

No one enjoys playing on a soft, bumpy green. If you balance those three factors — smoothness, trueness, and firmness — then speed ceases to be an issue. The overall playing experience becomes much better.

This goes against what most golfers are used to. Everyone still asks, “How fast are the greens?” But that question misses the point. I could make a green roll lightning-fast — but if it’s as bumpy as gravel, would you really want to play on it? Of course not.

What golfers truly want is a consistent, smooth, and well-balanced surface — where every element works in harmony. That’s what makes for a great golfing experience — not just a number on a Stimpmeter.

GolfEdit.com