The Multi-Hole Winter System

Using three holes in each putting green during the winter reduces the time spent changing holes, allows variety in day-to-day course setup and reduces the number of visible and unhealed hole plugs in the spring. This is a bold statement, but it reflects an approach used successfully by golf courses throughout the transition zone. Let’s explain the multi-hole system through a few questions and answers.

Why are holes on the putting green changed? Changing holes allows the turf around the hole to recover from foot traffic and provides golfers with variety when playing the hole.

How often should holes be changed? It depends. Rounds played or the desire for variety usually dictate the policy at a given facility. Usually it is a balance of both.

How does the multi-hole winter system work? It is a program where the turfgrass management staff places three holes in each putting green. The holes not in use are capped with a hard rubber cover. The staff rotates the location of the flagstick among the three hole locations every day to ensure that golfers never play the same setup in consecutive days.

Temperatures and seasonal rains often result in unpredictable levels of play. This means the amount of traffic around the hole varies and the need to move the physical hole varies. With the multi-hole winter system, the superintendent evaluates the amount of wear around the hole and has the discretion to move the hole. A subtle but important part of this process is that often a superintendent will find that only a few holes need to be moved, not all of them. In other words, they only move the holes that need to be moved. This further reduces the amount of hole changing in the winter months. 

Finally, superintendents learn that ultradwarf putting greens can handle more traffic than previously anticipated. They are not in a rhythm of changing holes on a calendar-based schedule in order to provide day-to-day variety in course setup – the turf tells them when a hole needs to be changed. 

What problem is the multi-hole winter system solving? The multi-hole system greatly reduces the number of old hole plugs visible in the putting greens in the spring. This is a time of year when the weather warms and golfers return to the golf course in large numbers. The quality of the putting surface is diminished when golfers putt through a minefield of old hole plugs. At a minimum, this is a visual distraction, but it can be a surface smoothness issue too. A secondary benefit is improved labor efficiency in the winter months. Labor hours not used changing holes can be reallocated to another task. 

When should the multi-hole system be used? It depends on the location of the golf course and average temperatures. A reasonable window for golf courses with ultradwarf putting greens is to begin in early December and continue through early March, but this window can be tailored to each course’s location and climate. 

Final Thoughts 

Turf management does not end in winter just because turf growth slows or stops completely. In “Winter Toolkit for Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Putting Greens: Part 1” we discussed when to cover greens to protect them from winter injury. The multi-hole system simply offers another way to protect your ultradwarf greens during the long winter ahead.

Southeast Region Agronomists:

Chris Hartwiger, director, USGA Course Consulting Service – chartwiger@usga.org

Jordan Booth, Ph.D., agronomist – jbooth@usga.org

John Rowland, Ph.D., agronomist – jrowland@usga.org

Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service

Contact the Green Section Staff