GS3

For about 2 years the United States Golf Association (USGA) worked to develop a smart ball. The idea was to Superintendents a tool that would give them concrete data to improve playing conditions. This past March, the ball became available for purchase, and we bought one for Bretton Woods.

The GS3 ball sitting on the Stimpmeter

For many years, the only tool to test putting green performance was the Stimpmeter. Every golfer has talked about how fast the greens are rolling or heard it referenced on TV. A Stimpmeter is a three-foot-long metal stick, with a center groove for the ball to roll down, and a notch in which the ball is placed to start. The tester raises the Stimpmeter up from one end until the ball starts to roll down the groove. The ball rolls out a distance and the length from the end of the Stimpmeter to the where the ball stopped is measured, and that is the number that everyone discusses- how many feet the ball rolled away from the Stimpmeter. The test is to be repeated twice in one direction, then twice from where the ball stopped, back towards the original starting point. An average is taken of the measurements to give the final speed of the green.

Stimpmeter

But one issue with the Stimpmeter as described above is the room for inconsistencies between testers both in performing the roll and measuring. As one raises the Stimpmeter to start the ball, if you don’t stop raising as soon as the ball moves, then you can give the ball more slope than needed and increase its momentum. Or, if the test is performed on a slight slope in any direction, the numbers can be skewed. Human error was moderate for the test, but it was the best we had for a long time, so it was standard practice.

Aside from the possible human error aspect, a myriad of other factors contribute to how fast or slow greens are on any given day- weather, turf health, staffing, grass type, time of year, etc. can all affect the speed of greens. The USGA wanted to take as many of the variables out as possible, so they developed a smart ball.

This new tool is called GS3, and it is a smart ball with identical size and weight to a regular golf ball. Inside the GS3 is a computer and gyroscope, which pairs via Bluetooth to a user’s phone. The ball is used on a Stimpmeter exactly as before, but now most of the human error is removed. This is what the ball does:

1.       Measures green speed- but instead of using a tape measure to physically measure how far the ball rolls, the GS3 takes data points along its path and calculates how fast it is slowing down. Using an algorithm developed during those many years of testing, the USGA has been able to generate a green speed number from the data.

2.       Measures green smoothness- the smoothness of a green is defined as how much up and down movement a ball feels while rolling across the surface. Again, after years of testing, the USGA was able to find in the data a baseline amount of vertical movement that the ball is subjected to, as well as larger deviations. The measurement of these larger deviations is what gives us the smoothness reading. More, and larger deviations above the baseline vertical movement is interpreted as a less smooth putting surface.

3.       Measures green trueness- the trueness of a green is defined as how much left and right movement a ball experiences when rolling across the surface. Like the smoothness, testing revealed a baseline number, and deviations in either direction from the baseline represent the level of trueness a surface produces.

4.       Firmness- the GS3 comes with a drop fixture as well as the Stimpmeter and the drop fixture is what is used to measure firmness. The GS3 is placed in a weighted mallet and dropped from a standard height down onto the green. The ball measures how much “bounce” was felt when hitting the green. Another algorithm then gives us a measurement in inches of how deep the mallet penetrated the green. Deeper equals less firm greens and shallower equals more firm greens.

This is the tool used to test firmness. The ball
is placed in the metal piece at the bottom
and the entire stick is raised, then dropped

All these measurements are sent directly to a phone and uploaded to the cloud. We can then review the numbers and compare them to everything that is affecting the green, most notably our cultural practices and the weather.

What does all this mean for Bretton Woods? We have been using the GS3 since March and we are still just in the exploratory phase. Getting used to the GS3, developing a routine of testing, interpreting and using the results has taken us all that time. We have learned a few things, but currently our data set is too small to make any grand alterations. But the idea is that as time goes on and we gain more information, we will start to adjust if needed based on the solid data that we can now measure.

The USGA recommends consistent testing but starting slow and learning the tool well before making any drastic changes. That is exactly what we are focusing on for now and we are confident the GS3 will help us keep moving forward.

 

Have a good Memorial Day.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

We appreciate everyone’s effort to fill divots on tees and fairways. Please remember to smooth the sand after filling the divot. Do not leave a pile because it damages the cutting units on our mowers.

 

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org