Architecture Glossary - Crowned Green

The message of great, strategic golf course architecture is clear. The actual words used to describe those golf courses, however, are many. The Architecture Glossary column will examine more precise terms and concepts that one will find when exploring golf course architecture. Hopefully understanding these terms, and why certain architects employed them, will help you to better understand the golf courses you play…and maybe even improve your scores!

Today’s term is ‘Crowned Green’.

Although there is a particular variety of “crowned green” that dominates modern discussions of the concept, it is perhaps best to start with the most bare-bones definition: A crowned green is one where the highest altitude on the putting surface occurs at the interior of the green, and versus at the perimeter.

For example, consider No. 17 at Augusta National Golf Club, where the front portions of the green both have a false-front effect, while shots that go past the front platform will also run backwards to the edge of the green. This is the essence of a crowned green.

Although not a "crowned green" in the sense that many have come to interpret the term, the No. 17 green at Augusta does in fact feature its highest point internally.

It’s rare to hear such a putting surface described as a “crowned green,” however, because the term has been overwhelmingly associated with one architect and, indeed, one route: Pinehurst’s No. 2 course.

Whenever an event is hosted at the Pinehurst Resort’s most famous course, the first topic of conversation is the convex greens, which seem to defy all but the most perfect of approaches. Come up short and your second will either roll back to an intimidating distance, or be scattered to bunkers and fall-offs surrounding the green. The next shot following such a miss can be just as frightening for those lacking confidence with a wedge, hence why Martin Kaymer won the 2014 U.S. Open by putting impressively from off the green.

It's not tough to see where the fall-off is on this green at Pinehurst No. 2...everywhere.

Donald Ross described the design strategy to some degree when discussing the No. 16 hole at the course:
“The sixteenth hole is a fine example of what I have in mind. Here, the slope rises gently on the front part of the green and falls slightly away at the rear. Regardless of where the pin may be placed, a player whose approach is either short or strong will be faced with the problem of putting across the ridge formed by this change in slope.”

Accordingly, many cite the crowned green as Ross’s signature design feature. The problem is that there are very few other instances of this method within Ross’s oeuvre, either in practice or among the sketches accumulated by the Donald Ross Archives at Tufts University.

As it turns out, “crowned greens” in the Pinehurst style are a legend that have grown, both figuratively and literally.

The current greens at No. 2 are largely believed to be the side effect of maintenance-related issues over the decades. Although there is some grain of truth behind the current presentation, there are also millions of grains of sand that contribute to the status quo.

Upon its founding, Pinehurst featured sand greens until more hardy Bermuda grass was introduced. It’s at this point that Ross’s proper green designs emerged. That Bermuda required frequent top-dressing with sand in order to break up thatch and maintain the firm conditions that the region is known for. As No. 2 was the resort’s signature course, it reportedly received more top-dressing than the other courses. The layered sand built up for decades, exaggerating Ross’s design strategy and resulting in putting surfaces more similar to what we now associate with Pinehurst.

Why hasn’t this occurred at other courses with other Bermuda turf? First, aeration practices help to counter these effects. Pinehurst didn’t begin punching its greens until nearly three decades after Ross completed his work, however. There has been opportunity to reform the greens to his specifications but, as they’ve become a calling card of sorts for the course, they remain exaggerated in their crowning.

At the onset of his career, Pete Dye was friendly with Ross, and witnessed the changes at Pinehurst firsthand during visits.

“I'm sorry to say it but they're not what you'd call part of Mr. Ross's style,” he wrote in the introduction to the book Discovering Donald Ross. “Go down the road to Mid Pines and Pine Needles, for example, where Mr. Ross built the greens himself, and you'll see more features than just crowns.”

Although No. 1 at Pine Needles is reachable for many players, its crowned green can result in some nasty scores once the player is in close.

Indeed, Pine Needles Golf Course serves a more nuanced take on the crowned green theory than that at the town’s namesake resort. The opening par five proved a headache for LPGA players during the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open. Anna Nordqvist was one of the victims, taking her third shot from 100 yards out and still managing to card a double bogey.

Unfortunately, most managers are not as wise as Kyle Franz, the architect responsible for the restoration at Pine Needles. Thus other Ross courses have aimed to replicate Pinehurst’s putting surfaces, and newer designs cite Ross when creating greens that resemble overturned cereal bowls. There’s a reason why the terms “crowned” green and “turtle-backed” green are used interchangeably.

Is there an old-world case study for this particular green style? It has been argued that the elevated putting surface at Royal North Devon’s No. 13 bears some resemblance, but otherwise greens on the links tend to be crowned in the more traditional sense.

That said, Pinehurst’s influence has made some recent incursions into British golf. Those watching The Open at Royal Liverpool (occurring as this was being written) probably noticed the struggles faced by some golfers at No. 17, a par three that typically plays as No. 15 in the traditional layout. This was a new hole added by MacKenzie and Ebert in preparation for the 2023 Open. Playing just 135 yards, it demands exacting accuracy from players, as shots that veer in the wind may be kicked off the green. As several players found during the tournament, shots from the shortgrass or bunkers could quickly find the ball on the downslope on the other side of the green. Jon Rahm used a telling adjective when describing the hole during a press conference: “turtle-back.”

The new par three from MacKenzie and Ebert brings some of Scottish Donald Ross's influence back to the UK. This green, while short, will repel most off-base shots.

Again: If the highest point of elevation on the green is at its interior, it can accurately be described as “crowned.” Looking again at Ross’s description of No. 16, one can understand that his intention was not to create greens that repel all shots, but rather greens that create challenges for those putting from the wrong side of the green. Understood this way, the logic resonates with Ross’s more frequent use of greens that slope aggressively from back to front…end up on the correct side of the flag, or face the consequences.

Pinehurst No. 2 remains one of the most celebrated golf courses in both the United States and Ross’s portfolio, which is a reflection of the craftsmanship of both Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, as well as the resort’s maintenance professionals, to ensure that these tricky greens remain a sustainable part of Ross’s actual design. It would behoove other clubs, however, not to test their luck by converting simple crowned greens into turtle-backed torture devices.