Love the Shallow Cups the virus has brought!

[Middler]

My regular course just reopened with lots of conditions, among them cups that are only about 1" deep. I love them, and I'm hoping some courses will keep them in perpetuity, long after Covid-19 is a bad memory. It makes it a lot easier to fish the ball out, especially now that we're mostly leaving pins in. And I don't know, but I'm guessing it really doesn't make much if any difference on % of putts that drop. You?

[DaveP043]

I haven't seen putts "rejected" by the foam inserts we now have, but I don't see any actual reason to change the rules of golf concerning the actual cup dimensions.

[PMookie]

I like them change as well! I did have one put pop-out of the cup, but only one.


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[Middler]

11 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I haven't seen putts "rejected" by the foam inserts we now have, but I don't see any actual reason to change the rules of golf concerning the actual cup dimensions.

I like the shallow cups simply because it’s much easier to fish the ball out now that most people I play with leave the pin in. It often takes a couple tries to get the ball out with the pin in when only two fingers fit in the hole with a normal (deeper) cup. It’s not just me, I’ve seen many others reach in 2-3 times before getting their ball out with a normal cup. If we still pulled pins, I wouldn’t have cared. It’s the combination of shallow cups and leaving the pin in that makes sense to me, but I doubt my wish for permanent shallow cups will be granted.

[tony@CIC]

I like them change as well! I did have one put pop-out of the cup, but only one.


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I had a birdie putt pop out the other day, but I still counted it as a bird. I figured if the cup wasn't raised it would have gone in especially since it just went a couple of inches past the hole.


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[CarlH]

I don't like them!  I have seen good putts rejected.  While I may want to count it as good, my opponents will likely call foul.  Our club used the shallow cup (with pool noodle insert) but someone complained that people were touching the flagpole and could spread the virus (????), so they went back to the raised cup, which is even more difficult to claim the putt is good IMO.  I'll be glad when we go back to standard cups (for more reasons than the obvious).

[Kenny B]

47 minutes ago, CarlH said:

I don't like them!  I have seen good putts rejected.  While I may want to count it as good, my opponents will likely call foul.  Our club used the shallow cup (with pool noodle insert) but someone complained that people were touching the flagpole and could spread the virus (????), so they went back to the raised cup, which is even more difficult to claim the putt is good IMO.  I'll be glad when we go back to standard cups (for more reasons than the obvious).

Your "buddies" are just looking out for you!!  If you had one foot in the grave, they would probably would say that it doesn't count!!   

[CarlH]

30 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Your "buddies" are just looking out for you!!  If you had one foot in the grave, they would probably would say that it doesn't count!!   

The power of the almighty dollar at work! 

[cksurfdude]

On 4/8/2020 at 12:08 PM, Middler said:

My regular course just reopened with lots of conditions, among them cups that are only about 1" deep. I love them, and I'm hoping some courses will keep them in perpetuity, long after Covid-19 is a bad memory. It makes it a lot easier to fish the ball out, especially now that we're mostly leaving pins in. And I don't know, but I'm guessing it really doesn't make much if any difference on % of putts that drop. You?

I completely agree, especially for recreational golf. But USGA- and PGA-sanctioned competitive event, no, it won't last.

For amateur recreational play I'm all even having the cup raised and, yes, calling it good if it touches anywhere. Maybe a separate topic which has been well-discussed in other threads but the pace of play when a group gets to the putting green............................................................................

[THEZIPR23]

 

 

 

[UncleDanger]

I have found that having foam “noodles” in the cup has encouraged me to make a more forceful stroke as I get a little joy out of bouncing the ball off the foam and back towards me. I think this will help me after the virus has passed () as I was always one to try to die the ball into the hole.

Time will tell.

[release]

We don't have "shallow cup" , we have raised cup lining.   Where the white plastic cup lining is raised a few inches off the putting surface and consider holed out if the golf ball touched any part of the cup lining.  Flag stayed in and no one touches any part of the flag stick nor the cup.

Kind of funky not "hole" out a putt and some of the guys will hit their putt extra firm to hold a better line to hit the white plastic cup lining.  I don't like it but, that's the way the golf course is set up.   Seriously,  I might just wait out the whole thing until it's over, even if I have to sacrifice this golf season. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by release

[cnosil]

We don't have "shallow cup" , we have raised cup lining.   Where the white plastic cup lining is raised a few inches off the putting surface and consider holed out if the golf ball touched any part of the cup lining.  Flag stayed in and no one touches any part of the flag stick nor the cup.
Kind of funky not "hole" out a putt and some of the guys will hit their putt extra firm to hold a better line to hit the white plastic cup lining.  I don't like it but, that's the way the golf course is set up.   Seriously,  I might just wait out the whole thing until it's over, even if I have to sacrifice this golf season. 

The may actually become better putters after the cup is returned to the normal position provided they keep their speed up.

[Brian A]

Hate them, had a few pop out and also cant stand leaving flag in. It messes with me 

[release]

Our golf courses around here been using the shallow cut  method for the practice greens fro many years now.

It's good for the turf and faster recovery, but personally, i am just used to the traditional cup.  In many of the Asian courses overseas, using the metal lining for the cup increased the pleasure of the senses when the golf ball make the clinking sound at the bottom of the metal cup.  That nice crisp clink really reinforced the confidence of making a stroke on the putting green. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by release

[SmoothG]

I have found that I really enjoy leaving the pin in.  I've always been against it as I felt it was distracting.  I am putting better and don't have to worry about setting the pin down and then replacing it when we leave.  

[PlaidJacket]

On 4/8/2020 at 11:08 AM, Middler said:

I love them, and I'm hoping some courses will keep them in perpetuity,

Not this guy. I'm sorta - barely ok for the time being during the abnormal panic-demic. The most annoying part of keeping flags in anytime is when the shadows of the flag interfere. Very distracting if you axe me. I have also seen a few times where a pin in - especially where a cup is inverted or a pool noodle isn't deep enough causing a lip out. I actually holed (flew directly in) an approach a couple of weeks ago but of course it had no chance due to the foam noodle. We're currently living in the Abnormal and we need to return to Normal.  Quickly... before somebody catches a common cold and we have a run on Kleenex. 

[WaffleHouseTour]

My home course has the pool noodle, which is fine.  Played at the Prairie Club this weekend and they had a piece of PVC, irregular cut so the ball rolls around to the low point. Kinda interesting.  
 

either way, it’s shallow, but if your ball is popping out as some have stated they’ve made it too shallow.

Ive always been a flag stick in guy,, even before the rule change when walking and playing by myself, so no worries there. 

[fixyurdivot]

Agree, the shallow cup works great.  I've played several variations of the "virus cup" to include what looked like inverted cups in AZ (creating a cone) and several versions of the foam noodle. I've seen a couple cases of what we thought were pop-outs due to the changes, but the group called them "makes".  It's much better not having to dig down into the cup to extract the ball - especially when leaving the flag in.  What will be fun is seeing one of those long distance swish shots rebound off the foam .

[Middler]

1 hour ago, WaffleHouseTour said:

either way, it’s shallow, but if your ball is popping out as some have stated they’ve made it too shallow.

Yeah, I’ve yet to see a ball pop out. Our course is just putting the cup insert in upside down, no special depth.

[Nolan220]

I haven't seen any putts pop out but I saw my buddies 90 yard wedge shot for eagle hit the foam and bounce out and also my 50 yard wedge shot for birdie did the same thing, but I feel like both of those could have happened with or with out the foam. I gave my buddy the eagle though ...

[Middler]

33 minutes ago, Nolan220 said:

I haven't seen any putts pop out but I saw my buddies 90 yard wedge shot for eagle hit the foam and bounce out and also my 50 yard wedge shot for birdie did the same thing, but I feel like both of those could have happened with or with out the foam. I gave my buddy the eagle though ...

I was talking about putting or chips that roll in. I could see how longer shots could definitely be “denied” by shallow, noodle or PVC spaced cups. They don’t happen often IMO (you two must be really good) and it’s impossible to know if the ball would have gone in with a standard pin and cup insert - unless maybe you two tend the pin on 50 and 90 yard approach shots... 

[Nolan220]

16 minutes ago, Middler said:

I was talking about putting or chips that roll in. I could see how longer shots could definitely be “denied” by shallow, noodle or PVC spaced cups. They don’t happen often IMO (you two must be really good) and it’s impossible to know if the ball would have gone in with a standard pin and cup insert - unless maybe you two tend the pin on 50 and 90 yard approach shots... 

Yeah I agree I haven't seen any putting or shorter chips, I dont mind the foam, and my buddy is really good .. I got lucky