[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "How to Read Green Slope"

To make a good putt, you need to accurately understand and utilize the slope of the green.

‘Slope’.

In short, it is the incline of a golf course. Greens are especially never perfectly flat, and slopes extend in various directions, so you need to understand the elevation changes around the hole from left to right (Greens are not always flat and we need to understand the slope). The slope of the green greatly affects the strength and curve of your putt (Your putt will follow the overall slope and lie of the land).

When asking about the slope of a green overseas, the question is "Which way does this green slope?" The answer is "This green slopes from left to right." Or you might say, "This green slopes from back to front and is very fast," or "This green slopes to the left (right)."

Remember that you should read the green’s slope from a distance of 50 to 100 yards away. This means that from the moment the ball is ‘on the green’ and you walk toward it, you should assess the overall natural terrain of the green’s surroundings (overall land of the lie) and the elevation changes nearby. Large breaks such as mountains (mountain break), ponds (pond), ocean breaks (ocean break), and the direction of the sun can be very helpful.

Lastly, drainage matters. Since water flows from high to low areas, it also affects the grain of the grass (with the grain). An uphill slope is expressed as "It slopes toward you," while a downhill slope is "It slopes away from you." For reference, the slope rating is a measure of the difficulty of each golf course. 113 is the average rating, and a rating close to 130 indicates a difficult course.

A: Which way does this green slope?

B: This green slopes from left to right.

A: So, I should aim to the left of the flagstick.

B: Yes, this is one of the hardest greens.

Written and photographed by Kim Maengnyeong, golf columnist