What is a Stimpmeter in Golf and How is It Used?

If you are a fan of golf, you may have often heard commentators and players talking about a certain device called the stimpmeter. This unique device is an essential tool in the arsenal of greenkeepers and course managers. As a low-tech device, stimpmeters have been around for almost a century. But what does the device do? What are its uses? Let’s find out!

Stimpmeter, a 90-year-old game-changing invention

A stimpmeter is a simple but highly efficient device that is used to determine the speed of the golfing greens. How long has the device been in use? Well, it is the brainchild of and named after founder Edward S. Stimpson Sr. The idea for the device came to mind during a U.S. Open game in 1935, when he suspected that the course was unbelievably fast.

Stimpson’s invention has now gone on to become a critical element of the game of golf. Fashioned out of wood, the initial device was basically a chute down which a golf ball would roll onto the golf course. Modern-day stimpmeters are made out of aluminum and are usually 36 inches in length, featuring a V-shaped groove.

There are not many technicalities associated with the device. It is, basically, a sort of metal ramp that is angled down to a flat part of the green on the golf course. The “stimp rating” of a green refers to how fast a ball ends up rolling across it. In the case of a single-digit rating, the green is considered to be slow to moderately paced. Meanwhile, a double-digit rating implies that the green is quick or fast-paced.

How does a stimpmeter work in golf?

First and foremost, a greenkeeper or golf course manager has to pick out a flat surface. A ball is placed on the notch of the stimpmeter. With one end of the apparatus on the ground, the ball-containing end of the device is carefully lifted up.

The ball will then be released from the notch and gradually roll down to the greens. The course manager then measures how far the ball has traversed away from the end of the stimpmeter. The whole process is carried out three times, after which an average is calculated.

So, what is a good reading to get on the stimpmeter? Generally, a reading of 9 or 10 is considered good to go. But, in some courses, the reading may be as high as 13 or 14. Sometimes, competitions or events do away with the device completely.

Augusta National, which is the home of the highly coveted Masters, doesn’t reveal details about the stimpmeter reading. It is because no two holes on the iconic golf course are alike. From size to sloping to design, each of them greatly differs from the other. As a result, the speeds also greatly fluctuate.

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This non-fancy but extremely important device may have come into existence in the 1930s, but it did not become a mainstay on the golf scene until much later. It was close to five decades later when the United States Golf Association (USGA) stepped in to incorporate this tool in a formal manner.

The USGA adopts the stimpmeter for golf courses

Even though Stimpson’s wooden version of the device came into being in 1935, the stimpmeter wasn’t used in an official way until 1976. Two years later, the USGA finally adopted the device for golf courses in the United States. Over the years, the device has also gained popularity across the world.

No specific adjustment was introduced to the stimpmeter until 2012. That year, an adjustment was made to consider that modern-day putting greens often lacked large enough flat areas to ensure a full roll-out. Consequently, another notch now exists on the reverse side of the stimpmeter, halfway down the ramp.

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Despite not being highly technical in nature, a stimpmeter is of paramount importance on golf greens. Some of the most well-known courses and tournaments globally necessitate the use of the device for successful events!