Lesson 1: The Putting Green is Special
Every hole on a golf course ends at the putting green — a carefully maintained, smooth surface where golfers use their putter to roll the ball into the hole.
The putting green requires more care than any other part of the course. The grass is cut very short and very precisely. It is watered, fertilized, and maintained with extraordinary attention. Any damage to the surface affects everyone who putts on it that day.
Because of this, the putting green has more specific rules and etiquette than any other part of the course. Golfers treat the green with extra respect.
When you step onto a putting green, you are stepping onto one of the most carefully tended surfaces in all of sport. Your behavior there tells everyone watching exactly what kind of golfer you are.
Key rule: On the putting green, you may lift, clean, and replace your ball. Mark its position with a small coin or marker before lifting it.
Visit the practice putting green at your facility. Before touching anything, spend two minutes just observing the surface. What do you notice about the grass? The speed? The slope? Find a ball mark and fix it. Find any debris on the surface and gently remove it. Putt three balls and observe how the green’s slope affects each putt. Write your observations in your golf journal: what makes this surface different from any other grass you walk on?