The U.S. Open season is here, and the greens at Pinehurst Golf Club are crispy, lightning fast, and shaped like turtle shells. This presents a unique challenge for players, as the balls roll around, over, and through the greens with ease. In a recent video series called The Game Plan, we explored how players navigate these challenging greens.
One key strategy for navigating the greens at Pinehurst is dividing the space around the hole into three different circles, known as scoring zones. The first scoring circle is the three-shot zone, which is the furthest distance from the hole, typically encompassing chips and pitches outside of 50 feet. The goal in this zone is to hit the green and avoid disaster, with a focus on using a putter to finish out in three shots.
The second scoring circle, known as the black hole, encompasses distances from about nine feet to 50 feet, where two-putting is the most likely outcome. The key in this zone is to avoid silly mistakes by trying to make the putt, instead opting for a high and soft approach that gives you the best chance of success. The third scoring circle is the ‘I should make this’ zone, inside about eight feet, where making a lot of putts can help you gain an advantage over your peers.
To excel on the tricky greens at Pinehurst Golf Club, players must focus on ensuring their putterface is square at impact within the ‘I should make this’ zone. This requires precision and accuracy to consistently sink putts and gain an edge over the competition. By understanding and implementing these strategies, players can improve their putting game and navigate the challenging greens at Pinehurst with greater success.
In conclusion, the U.S. Open season presents a unique challenge for players, particularly when faced with the crispy, lightning-fast greens at Pinehurst Golf Club. By dividing the space around the hole into three scoring zones and focusing on precision and accuracy with the putter, players can navigate these challenging greens and improve their putting game. Watching The Game Plan video series can provide further insights and strategies for excelling on the greens during the U.S. Open season.
