Golf Glossary
Green (Putting Green)
In short
The green is the especially closely mown and well kept area around the hole. This is where you play the final strokes of a hole, the putts. The Rules of Golf call it the putting green. Some special rules apply there, for example you may mark, lift and clean the ball.
The green in golf: the meaning explained
Every hole ends on a green. It is the area where the hole with the flagstick lies. The grass is cut so short that the ball rolls evenly without bouncing. That is why golfers almost always use the putter on the green, although the rules do not require it.
The Rules of Golf define the putting green as the area of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting, or that the Committee has defined as the putting green. This also applies to a temporary green that some courses use in winter. There is only one green for each hole, namely that of the hole you are playing. A green belonging to another hole counts as general area. If your ball lies there, you must take free relief and may not play it as it lies.
In everyday talk many golfers simply say green. It always means the same area. In German the term putting green also stands for a practice green next to the clubhouse. That has an entry of its own.
Layout and care of the green
A green is the most intensively maintained area of the course. Greenkeepers mow it very short. As a rough guide, depending on the course and season, this is about three to four millimetres. The fairway is cut much higher, as a guide to about one to one and a half centimetres. In addition greenkeepers roll, fertilise and water the green regularly so that the surface stays smooth and firm.
Greens are rarely flat. They have slopes, humps and hollows. Golfers call these contours. They make the ball curve sideways on a putt, which you know as break. The size and shape of greens differ strongly from course to course.
Around the green there is usually a slightly higher mown ring, the fringe. Behind it follow rough, bunkers or water. Bunkers next to the green protect it and make approach shots more demanding. The flagstick stands in the hole and marks where the hole is cut today.
Rules on the green
On the green special rules apply, summarised in Rule 13 of the Rules of Golf. They make putting fairer and play faster.
- Mark, lift and clean the ball: you may mark the ball with a ball marker beforehand, lift it, clean it and place it back on the same spot.
- Repair damage: since 2019 you may repair almost any damage on the green, such as pitch marks, shoe damage, dents from clubs or animal tracks. Aeration holes and natural imperfections are excluded.
- Touching the line of putt: you may touch the line but not improve it, for example by smoothing the turf.
- Flagstick: you may leave the flagstick in the hole or remove it. If the ball hits the flagstick when putting, there is no penalty.
- Ball hits another ball: if both balls were on the green before the putt and your ball hits the ball at rest, you get two penalty strokes in stroke play. In match play there is no penalty. The ball that was hit is replaced and your ball is played as it lies. That is why golfers ask for balls on their line to be marked.
Otherwise the usual principle applies: you play the ball as it lies.
Green in regulation: the key statistic
Golfers measure their playing strength with the term green in regulation, GIR for short. A green is hit in regulation if the ball lies on the green after at most par minus two strokes. On a par 4 that is two strokes, on a par 3 one stroke and on a par 5 three strokes.
The background: par allows two strokes for putting. Anyone who reaches the green in regulation therefore has two putts available for a par. If the ball only reaches the green later, you have to rescue the hole with the short game.
For players with a high handicap the ball seldom reaches the green in regulation. For them a par is often already a very good result. The GIR rate rises with playing strength. Anyone who counts it can see how well their approach shots work. The statistic is an aid and should not be placed above enjoying the game.
Example from practice: a par 4 onto the green
You play a par 4 of 330 metres. The tee shot lands on the fairway, the second shot from 120 metres on the green, 8 metres from the hole. That is a green in regulation, because you are on the green after two strokes.
Now you putt twice. The first putt stops 60 centimetres short of the hole, the second drops. You needed four strokes, a par. With only one putt it would have been a birdie. With three putts it would have been a bogey.
A different story: the second shot lands in the bunker in front of the green. You play the ball out of the sand onto the green and two putts follow. You needed five strokes, a bogey. In this case the green was not hit in regulation.
The numbers are a worked example. It shows how strongly your result depends on the strokes on and around the green.
Etiquette on the green
Because the green is especially delicate, fixed manners apply there.
- Repair pitch marks: every ball leaves a small dent when it lands. Repair your own and, if possible, one more with a pitch repairer.
- Do not run or drag your feet: walk slowly. Lift your feet so the grass is not torn.
- Do not step on the line of others: the area between a playing partner's ball and the hole is off limits.
- Keep quiet: while someone putts, do not talk or move.
- Leave bags at the edge: bags and trolleys belong beside the green, not on it.
- Leave quickly: leave the green straight after holing out and write down the score on the way to the next tee.
Greenkeepers invest many hours in the care of the greens. With a little consideration you help keep them in good condition.
Comparison: green, fringe, putting green and hole
The green is the especially short mown area on the hole. It ends where the short cut ends. Around it lies the fringe, which is cut slightly longer. It is not part of the green and counts as general area. The special rules of the green do not apply there. You may not, for example, mark and clean the ball. You play it as it lies. You may, however, use any club from the fringe, including the putter.
The putting green in the sense of a practice area is a facility for practising. It usually has several holes and lies near the clubhouse. The chipping green is for practising short shots around the green.
The hole is only the opening on the green. It has a diameter of 108 millimetres. The flagstick stands in it and marks it. The green is the area, the hole is the target on that area.
Try it at Golf Lounge
The best place to practise playing onto a green and putting there is the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. It is a par 33 with par 3 and par 4 holes, plus water hazards, bunkers and protected greens. It can be played with the Platzreife (DGV) and is open from April to December. Up to four players can book a tee time online.
Frequently asked questions
What is a green in golf?
The green is the especially short mown area at the end of every hole where the hole with the flagstick lies. Here you putt the ball into the hole. The Rules of Golf call the area the putting green and regulate several special points there, such as marking and cleaning the ball.
What may I do on the green that is otherwise not allowed?
On the green you may mark, lift and clean the ball, repair pitch marks and other damage and remove sand and loose soil. You may also touch the line of putt if you do not improve it. There is also no penalty if the ball hits the flagstick.
What does green in regulation mean?
Green in regulation, GIR for short, means the ball lies on the green after at most par minus two strokes. On a par 4 that is two strokes. Par allows two strokes for putting, so a GIR gives a chance of par or better.
How short is the grass on the green?
Greens are mown especially short, as a rough guide to about three to four millimetres, depending on the course and season. That is much shorter than on the fairway. As a result the ball rolls evenly. Each course decides the exact cutting height itself, and in winter it may be cut a little higher.
What is the difference between the green and the fringe?
The green is the especially short mown area with the hole. The fringe is a slightly longer mown ring around it. It belongs to the general area. The special rules of the green do not apply there, but you may use any club, including the putter.
As of: October 2026