Learn what stimp speed is and how it affects gameplay on backyard putting greens. Hear common misconceptions about what causes the fluctuation of stimp speed. Discover how we measure this, and how stimp speed can be controlled.
When building an at-home putting green, one of the most important things to pay attention to is the stimp speed. Stimp speed is how far and fast the golf ball will roll across the golf green. This is important because different clients will want different speeds depending on what they’re looking for in their putting green. Different golfers prefer different speeds, especially depending on their experience level.
We make sure to ask our clients what specifications they’d like for the outdoor putting green. You can build sand bunkers, choose from different putting green turf, and add more contour to customize the experience even more! This allows our clients to design the perfect space for their needs. We can even reference past projects to find the best backyard putting green design for you!
Stimp speed in synthetic putting greens can be customized with the putting green grass that is selected. We offer three main types of putting green materials, and they each produce different stimp speeds. While many believe infill determines stimp speed, this is typically not the case. For the infill to affect the stimp speed, we'd have to add so much that it fills up to the top of the surface and you'd be playing on the sand, not artificial grass.
For reference, professional golf turf usually has a stimp speed of 12. A speed of 7.5 is considered slow, and a speed of 14 is fast. Speeds of 10 to 12 are average for most diy backyard putting greens.
Stimp speed is measured using a tool called a stimpmeter. A stimpmeter is a long stick that acts as a ramp for a golf ball to roll down. All we do is place the golf ball at a certain point on the stimpmeter, and allow it to roll down the stimpmeter and onto the green. You then measure the point from the bottom of the stimpmeter to where the ball stopped rolling. If the ball rolled 11 feet, the stimp speed is 11.
We hope this article helps you understand a lesser-known aspect of your putting green! If you're curious about backyard putting green costs, check out our article breaking down the pricing! When you're ready to get your putting green project started, request a free estimate below!