What's considered a putt? (statistically)

[slickpitt]

I've always thought, that if you are on the fringe or off the green, it's considered a chip or pitch, statistically speaking, regardless of what club you use(putter, wedge, hybrid, etc.) I heard an announcer on TV the other day say it was considered a putt. So which is it officially? If I'm off the green, use the putter to get to 1 foot, then tap in, did I 1-putt, or 2-putt?

[warbirdlover]

I hope it's not considered a putt. That would improve my putting statistics dramatically!!!

[JEFF4i]

It's not. Anything from fringe, fairway, rough, or bunker, is a chip.

Hypothetically, you 1 putt.

[Eracer]

To me it's simple. Can you mark your ball on the fringe? No, unless another player requests it, and in that case your ball can be marked anywhere on the course.

But normally, you can't mark it, so the ball is not considered to be on the putting surface. Thus, it's not a putt.

[atom]

you 1 putt, outside green, flag on, not considered as put, you merely use a putter as a choice to put it to the green.

Just like you can tee off with a putter, that's not a putt...

[VtDivot]

Here's an interesting one...

You are 10 feet above the hole on the green, the hole is cut only a few paces on, you proceed to putt it off the green onto the fringe. You putt from the fringe and hole out. How many putts have you taken???

Answer: ZERO

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Here's an interesting one...

You are 10 feet above the hole on the green, the hole is cut only a few paces on, you proceed to putt it off the green onto the fringe. You putt from the fringe and hole out. How many putts have you taken???

Answer: ZERO

Surely the 1st one you degreened would count as a putt because you were actually on the green to start with?

So if you use your Lob Wedge on the green as some pros have in the past (can't remember the name of it but one course has a bunker in the middle of the green) that counts as a Putt???

[slickpitt]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Wi-Golfer]

Shit, no wonder I had so many 3 putts, I was counting anytime I used the putter even if it was 2' off the fringe in the long stuff.

[MGP]

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Here's an interesting one...

You are 10 feet above the hole on the green, the hole is cut only a few paces on, you proceed to putt it off the green onto the fringe. You putt from the fringe and hole out. How many putts have you taken???

Answer: ZERO

I think you're wrong on that. Since the first "putt' was actually on the green, I believe it counts as a putt whether you putted it off the green or not.

The second stroke, which was holed, is not a putt since it was played from off the putting surface.

I contend there was one putt.

(I did this exact thing in a round last year... )

Originally Posted by Eracer

To me it's simple. Can you mark your ball on the fringe? No, unless another player requests it, and in that case your ball can be marked anywhere on the course.

But normally, you can't mark it, so the ball is not considered to be on the putting surface. Thus, it's not a putt.

I think this a great and easy to remeber definition of what a putt is or not.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by ManchesterGolfer

Surely the 1st one you degreened would count as a putt because you were actually on the green to start with?

So if you use your Lob Wedge on the green as some pros have in the past (can't remember the name of it but one course has a bunker in the middle of the green) that counts as a Putt???

I don't see how VT's example would be anything but a one-putt. Any time you hit the ball when it rests on the putting surface, it is a putt. Even if you use a wedge. At least I can't find anything in the rules that specifies that you must use a putter to hit the ball when it lies on the putting green.

[Fourputt]

Way I see it, if you hit it the ball with a putter it's a putt. If you hit it with anything else, regardless of where the ball lies, it's not a putt.

Statistically the ball has to lie on the putting green for the stroke to count as a putt, but I still call it a "fringe putt" if I stroke it with the putter from off the green. I don't include it in my putting stats though. I don't see how it can be a chip or a pitch if I use a putter to play the stroke, but no stats analysis I ever saw would consider it a putt either. If you putt your ball from a point on the putting surface to any point off the putting surface, it's still a putt, but the next stroke is not, no matter what club you hit it with.

[VtDivot]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I don't see how VT's example would be anything but a one-putt. Any time you hit the ball when it rests on the putting surface, it is a putt. Even if you use a wedge. At least I can't find anything in the rules that specifies that you must use a putter to hit the ball when it lies on the putting green.

Oostie went over this during round 2 coverage of the US Open.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Oostie went over this during round 2 coverage of the US Open.

I'm e-mailing Oostie for an explanation. Cuz that makes ZERO sense...

[Augster]

Statistically, if you can mark your ball, it is a putt, regardless of what club you use to "putt" with.

To use the word "PUTT" is much less wordy than "Shots Taken on Green" which is the technically correct definition.

But, as Fourputt aluded to, anytime you CHOOSE to use a putter around the green, you SHOULD be able to only use it twice. If you 3-jack from the fringe, statistically you only 2-putted, but you know you had to use your putter 3 times.

If the shot calls for a putter, you SHOULD be able to get it down in 2 most all the time. Otherwise you should choose a different club.