Meteorologists predicting potential hurricane damage have the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale that measures a storm's intensity from 1-5. Storm Chasers and the like following a tornado can rely on the Fujita scale to rate the intensity of an event by examining the damage caused by the tornado after it has passed over a man-made structure.
The "Golf Scientists" at the United States Golf Association also have the ability to make a tangible measurement to record another natural disaster of sorts, putting on U.S. Open greens.
The origins of the Stimpmeter date back to the 1935 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Various accounts tell the tale of Edward Stimpson, an accomplished golfer in his own right who captained the Harvard golf team and won the Massachusetts state amateur in 1935, who was watched from the gallery that year in Western Pennsylvania as the super quick greens prevented the world's best players from breaking par. According to one version, he watched in shock as Gene Sarazen putted a ball off the green and into a bunker.
Stimpson set out to create a device that would achieve accurate, objective and statistically valid measurements of the speed of a putting green.
What Stimpson created would be the foundation for the device used by the USGA today, although it wasn't exactly an overnight success. The Stimpmeter lay unused until the 1970s when the USGA finally relented and realized it needed a way to know the speed and consistency of the greens for its championship events.
The original design was altered by Frank Thomas, the USGA's senior technical director. The material was changed from wood to extruded aluminum (created by a process of shaping by forcing the metal through a die, somewhat analogous to squeezing toothpaste through a tube) to improve consistency. When Thomas was done, the device left standing was christened the Stimpmeter.
What is it?
The Stimpmeter is an extruded aluminum bar, 36 inches long, with a V-shaped groove extending along its entire length. It has a precisely milled ball-release notch 30" from the tapered end (the end that rests on the ground). The underside of the tapered end is milled away to reduce bounce as a rolling ball makes contact with the green.
The V-shaped groove has an included angle of 145 degrees; thereby supporting a golf ball at two points " apart. A ball rolling down the groove has a slight over spin, which is thoroughly consistent and has no deleterious effect on the ensuing measurements.
The ball-release notch is designed so that a ball will always be released and start to roll when the Stimpmeter is raised to an angle of approximately 20 degrees. This feature ensures that the velocity of the ball will always be the same when it reaches the tapered end.
Essentially, it's a device used to measure the speed of greens. It's a very low-tech; basically just a small metal ramp that is angled down to a flat part of a putting green. A golf ball is released down the ramp. How far the ball rolls determines the "stimp" or stimp rating of the green, which is a measurement of green speed.
How a "stimp" is calculated
To come up with a stimp rating, USGA officials need three golf balls, the actual device, a tape measure and a flat spot on the green. First, three different balls are rolled in one direction, and with a tape measure, an average distance in feet is calculated. Then the process is repeated in the opposite direction and that distance is recorded. Those two distances are averaged together and a reading is obtained. If, for example, the average roll is nine feet, the greens are said to be a nine on the Stimpmeter.
Quick, Fast and Really Fast
The Stimpmeter was first used by the USGA during the 1976 U.S. Open in Atlanta and made available to golf course superintendents in 1978. It should be noted that the official USGA Stimpmeter (painted green) is not sold to the public. However, it's no mistake that the device originated at Oakmont.
For last year's U.S. Open at Oakmont, the USGA wanted the greens rolling at 13 to 13.5 for the tournament, which is actually slower than some measurements taken during the year. In autumn, when conditions are drier, Oakmont greens register 14 to 15 or higher.
The consensus among PGA Tour golfers is that Augusta National Golf Club's bentgrass greens are the fastest putting surfaces they see each year, but the ultra-secretive club won't reveal what the greens measure on the Stimpmeter. Estimates place the readings at anywhere from 12 to 15.
The national average is said to be in the neighborhood of 9.5.
For this year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, it's been reported that the greens will be rolling at 13 or 13.5; just where the USGA wants them.
So now when you're kicking back this weekend, enjoying the Open and watching the frustration mount on players faces as they struggle on the slick putting surfaces, you'll know what you're favorite announcer is talking about when he mentions the Stimpmeter.
Brandon Underwood, Golfer's Guide Online Editor
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