This is a new thread on a topic recently discussed. I found with the old metal cleats that I deliberately had to pick up my feet walking on a green. I think the modern cleats can cause more damage because you may be a little tired or not as attentive and shuffle when you walk. I try to be very careful but I can see how green damage happens these days.

I have scuffed the green pretty hard by tripping (yeah, I was tired, and rushing)...

But I'm not sure it would have been much better with "old metal cleats" as I probably would have fell and planted my shoulder into the green... that dent would have been a lot worse than the scuffed turf, I think anyway.

How about this for outside the box thinking... Maybe the USGA should come up with a rule that when you walk on the green you must put on Cleat Protectors... Just think, it protects the cleats and is just one more golf accessory we have to buy. Nothing complicated, just something that fits over the bottom part of your shoe, and turns your golf cleat into more of a sneaker.

I'm seeing a lot of old timers shaking their heads right now... hehehe

One should walk on the green as little as possible, regardless of what spikes are being worn.

I've seen so many people walk the whole length of the green when the approach has been hit to the back of the putting surface and the shortest practical route is to walk around the fringe and and toward the put that way.

This is a bad habit propagated by the tour pros but not one to follow.

I treat all golf courses as if they were the Garden of Eden.. and so should we all.

63Burmmie....
fairways and greens

The old cleats were much more potentially damaging to greens than the soft spikes are. And I haven't really seen many greens with spike damage recently.


Back when people wore metal spikes (just before soft spikes were mandated), every public course in the area had a problem w/ their greens.

I didnt play golf back in the steel spike days, but from what I have been told, back when steel spikes were still common, you could see all kinds of little holes in the greens where someone had walked.
If you putting line crossed those areas, it could seriously screw up your putt.
Im yet to see any damage on any of greens that I play on from soft spikes. I try to be careful not to drag my feet.
My golf shoes have those Black Widow spikes and those things have so much grip that if you drag your feet you will just about fall flat on your face.
I actually see far more damage on the greens from unrepaired ball marks and where someone pulled the flat out of the hole and just dropped it on the green. I also make sure that I set the flag on the fringe and that I set it down gently, but obviously not everyone is that considerate...

Yikes! Naked golfers!

....


I think metal let you know when you wern't picking up your feet right, but less people wore golf shoes then, now with softspikes nearly everyone has cleats.

Ball marks are way worse of a problem. imo.

That raises another question then: Is the problem that soft spikes tear up the greens as much or moreso than steel spikes or is it that now so many people are wearing spiked shoes and thats causing the damage to the greens?