Before you play, know what kind of grass you’ll be putting on. Many courses use Bermuda grasses, which are known for their grain, but not all Bermuda grasses are identical. For example, the Wailea Blue Course uses a type of Bermuda grass called Tifton 328, which has less grain than the Tifdwarf used on the Wailea Gold and Wailea Emerald greens.
In Hawai‘i, everything breaks toward the ocean, even if it doesn’t look like it will. Golf pros recommend you play more break than you think.
If you’re putting uphill into the grain, you’ll need to use a little more force. Putting downhill and down-grain requires less force.
Be firm on the three- to five-foot putts to compensate for the break, or give it more break if you try to die the putt in the hole.
How to tell which way the grain is going? Look at the cup, especially in the afternoon. Half of the cup is likely to look ragged, while the other side is smoother or sharper. The smoother side is the direction the grass is growing. The ragged look is caused by the grass’s tendency to fray as it grows.
Rusty Hathaway
Head Golf Professional
Wailea Golf Club
