Innovation at the US Open – the Stimpmeter

For the first time since 2016, the US Open returns to Oakmont Country Club, PA. With the tournament being famed for being one of the toughest tests in golf, Oakmont Country Club in particular provides one of the sternest examinations. This is the tenth time in the history of the club that the US Open has been held here, and the 125^th playing of the tournament. 

Besides the scorecard yardage of 7,372 (par 70) and brutally thick rough, one of the factors which makes Oakmont such a stern test is the speed of the greens; with the particularly fast greens being described as being “in the DNA of Oakmont” by Drain Bevard, the USGA Senior Director of Championship Agronomy. 

Given the slickness of Oakmont’s greens, commentary this week will inevitably make numerous references to the Stimpmeter, a tool used to measure a green’s speed by essentially seeing how far a golf ball rolls off a ramp (on a flat surface). It is the distance, measured in feet and inches, that the ball rolls from the ramp which gives the measurement of the speed of the putting surfaces. 

While still used by greenkeepers and course superintendents globally, this device was created in 1935 by Edward S. Stimpson; with the idea originating after Stimpson observed Gene Sarazen putt a ball off a green into a bunker during that year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.

This week, the greens will be expected to reach 14.5 to 15 on the stimpmeter – an eye-wateringly fast pace for amateurs and professionals alike. For reference, most amateur golfers will commonly play on greens which are our 8 to 10 on the stimp, while most PGA Tour events have green speeds at around 12. 

The first Stimpmeter devised by Stimpson was made of wood, was 30 inches long, and had a notch where a golf ball would sit. As one end of the Stimpmeter was slowly raised, a ball would then roll down the track at a uniform speed, with the notch where a ball rested before rolling down ensuring a consistent release point, which makes it so effective in measuring speed.

To calculate Stimp, three balls are first rolled off the Stimpmeter on a flat surface. The average distance of each of the three rolls is taken before the process is repeated by rolling the balls in the opposite direction. That average is determined, and the average of the two averages comes out to the Stimp.

In 1976, the device was redesigned to be 36 inches long, included a flat groove for the ball to rest in, and in many instances was made of aluminium; with this version being named the USGA speedstick. This iteration of the device was used until 2012, until the Stimpmeter again went through some additional modifications with changes the inventor (Steven Quintavalla, the USGA’s Senior Director for Equipment Research and Testing) said was “fundamentally found by accident”, with the Stimpmeter being modified to be two-sided, and featuring a second notch to produce a half-length roll, for use on greens wherein it is difficult to find a flat surface to test on.

Since its inception, the Stimpmeter has been a pioneering piece of technology in providing information about how a golf course is playing on a given day. While it appears Stimpson never sought protection of his invention, Quintavalla and the USGA did seek patent protection for their iteration of the device (US patent publication US2013/1080314 A1). 

I am very much looking forward to watching the US Open over the next few days, and will be very glad to hear commentary about the speed of the greens at the home of the Stimpmeter; known and loved/feared by golfers worldwide. 

While still used by greenkeepers and course superintendents globally, this device was created in 1935 by Edward S. Stimpson; with the idea originating after Stimpson observed Gene Sarazen putt a ball off a green into a bunker during that year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.