Post by turkmcgill on Feb 28, 2022 5:02:59 GMT -5
I have learned a TON by reading this forum, and especially by watching YouTube videos from CrazyCanuck, b101, and many others. Unfortunately, I haven't found many tips/tricks for creating and sculpting greens. Would love to hear how some of you do it. I've tried several approaches:
Flatten the green to start
I usually try to flatten my green before I start working on it.
Four quadrant brush technique
There's a brush that basically has four "arms" that kind of go off at different angles. I sometimes scale this brush up and use it to create small slopes that divide the green into four quadrants. Then I put a pin in each quadrant. My goal here is to reward players who hit it close to the pin, as putts inside 10 to 15 feet are usually very flat. The downsides are: if you are in the quadrant the putts are dead simple, and the mounds sometimes "deflect" well-placed shots that were heading towards the hole.
Funnels technique
b101 recommends creating slopes that funnel well-placed shots towards the pin. I've tried to do this a few times, but it often makes other pin locations more difficult.
Difficult green technique
It bothers me that some of the really good players use math to sink putts. At one point I experimented with using one of the "spotted" brushes (looks sort of like polka dots) to raise up a bunch of small mounds on the green. I've never released a course using this technique because it tends to create super unpredictable putts. I mentioned it because even though I'm NOT using it, I still get complaints that some of my greens are hard to putt, with the ball breaking in multiple directions and at different speeds. I'm trying to avoid that. Just not sure of the best way to do it.
Multi-tiered greens technique
I'm starting to do this a bit more. I find a roundish brush (usually) that matches part of my green and I raise a section roughly 10 inches. If the slope is too great then I'll use the fuzzy brush to make it a little gentler.
Avoiding flat greens technique
Using some of the techniques above will often give me very flat areas around the hole. Sometimes I'll take one of the fuzzy brushes and raise an area behind or to the side of the hole to create a small slope where the pin is. That way I know that even a 5 - 6 foot putt will not be a complete gimme.
Things I try to avoid with my greens:
Anyway, have I missed a tutorial video somewhere? How do you design / sculpt your greens?
Flatten the green to start
I usually try to flatten my green before I start working on it.
Four quadrant brush technique
There's a brush that basically has four "arms" that kind of go off at different angles. I sometimes scale this brush up and use it to create small slopes that divide the green into four quadrants. Then I put a pin in each quadrant. My goal here is to reward players who hit it close to the pin, as putts inside 10 to 15 feet are usually very flat. The downsides are: if you are in the quadrant the putts are dead simple, and the mounds sometimes "deflect" well-placed shots that were heading towards the hole.
Funnels technique
b101 recommends creating slopes that funnel well-placed shots towards the pin. I've tried to do this a few times, but it often makes other pin locations more difficult.
Difficult green technique
It bothers me that some of the really good players use math to sink putts. At one point I experimented with using one of the "spotted" brushes (looks sort of like polka dots) to raise up a bunch of small mounds on the green. I've never released a course using this technique because it tends to create super unpredictable putts. I mentioned it because even though I'm NOT using it, I still get complaints that some of my greens are hard to putt, with the ball breaking in multiple directions and at different speeds. I'm trying to avoid that. Just not sure of the best way to do it.
Multi-tiered greens technique
I'm starting to do this a bit more. I find a roundish brush (usually) that matches part of my green and I raise a section roughly 10 inches. If the slope is too great then I'll use the fuzzy brush to make it a little gentler.
Avoiding flat greens technique
Using some of the techniques above will often give me very flat areas around the hole. Sometimes I'll take one of the fuzzy brushes and raise an area behind or to the side of the hole to create a small slope where the pin is. That way I know that even a 5 - 6 foot putt will not be a complete gimme.
Things I try to avoid with my greens:
- "Crowned" pin locations (where the slopes all break away from the hole)
- Having slopes on every green that lead towards the bunkers
- Putting pins on red slopes (and I know some people do, but I never put pins on orange/yellow slopes either)
- Putting pins too close to the edge of the green
- Big slopes (though many RL courses have big sloping areas... so I'm torn on this one)
Anyway, have I missed a tutorial video somewhere? How do you design / sculpt your greens?