Measuring Hole Locations Down To A ‘T’

By David Shefter, USGA

	By using a T-square, Jeff Hall and other USGA staffers can accurately find the hole locations they want to use each day at the 2006 U.S. Amateur. (John Mummert/USGA)

Chaska, Minn. – The golf course can be a quiet sanctuary in the wee hours of the morning. The only sounds generally come from nature or the occasional mower.

But during USGA championships, a small group of individuals can be found on the greens and teeing grounds. They are the folks in charge of setting up the golf course, from picking where the tee markers will go to choosing hole locations.

On Saturday morning, Mike Davis, the USGA’s senior director of Rules and competitions, and Jeff Hall, the director of Rules/competitions standards, were joined by Hazeltine National Golf Club superintendent Jim Nichol and two members of his staff, Blair Hawkins and Matt Johnson toured the grounds to set up the course for the semifinal matches at the 2006 U.S. Amateur.

Armed with a variety of equipment – a hole cutter, tape measure, paint cans, clipboards, putter and a T-square, the group started at the first hole and worked their way forward. The T-square is a new device for 2006. It helps Hall, Davis and Jim Hyler, the Chairman of the Championship Committee, get exact measurements for the holes and allows them to perfectly align the tee markers.

In the past, the staff and Championship Committee members would pace off the depth of a green by foot. And as anyone knows, that can bring human error into the equation.

The USGA's Jeff Hall measures the depth of the fifth green to help get the exact spot for Saturday's hole location at the 2006 U.S. Amateur. (John Mummert/USGA)

"We can nail our hole location every single day to literally an inch," said Davis.

When you have to figure out eight locations on each green for an entire championship, including practice rounds, the stroke-play qualifying and five days of matches, the math multiplies quickly. The T-square and tape measure ensures accuracy.

Upon arriving at the green, Hall took out the tape and looking like a carpenter from Home Depot, walked from front to back. "It’s the Bob Villa Hole Location School," quipped Hall. "It’s hard to improve on perfection."

Once Davis gave him the depth of the hole location, Hall put down the T-square at that spot – for example 21 back for 21 yards from the front – and then got the number of paces from the right or left. He then walked it off and put down a golf tee to mark the spot.

"It’s amazing how quick you can get your paces down with the tape measure," said Hall. "It’s kind of like spring training you go and get your paces down."

Contrary to popular belief, the toughest locations are not necessarily saved for Sunday’s championship match.

Davis tries to equally balance them between front, back, left and right for each round.

Once the spot was found, Hawkins cut the hole and then replaced the sod in the previous hole. Johnson followed by touching up the new hole, putting in the liner and then using a cardboard cutout of the hole’s diameter, applied white paint around the lip to make it easier to see for spectators and the television viewers.

"The key to this is the custom-made cardboard," quipped Johnson.

Interjected Hall, with a hint of sarcasm: "If anybody could do that it would be you. I’ve got about $6 to put into your [start-up] company."

Anything to make the morning a little livelier.

David Shefter is a USGA staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.