A putting green is typically used on golf courses and is a popular surface for the sport. It might look comfy to lay or kneel on and even welcoming in that matter.
Kneeling and laying on a putting green is allowed during golf games, provided all other golf rules are kept. Outside of a golfing game, it is also allowed. However, laying on the putting green is not particularly comfortable or advisable in either circumstance.
Putting green is most commonly used for golf, and there are a few specific rules when it comes to putting greens and kneeling on them. It might look cozy, but is it really?
What is Putting Green?
Putting green is artificial grass that is laid down on golf courses and is typically shorter than other artificial grass areas so that it’s easier to putt as well as to maintain.
Some people like using different artificial grass in place of a typical lawn, simply for keeping the maintenance upkeep lower and more cost efficient than other types of lawns and lawn care.
Putting green is usually made of different synthetic materials such as nylons to mimic the feel and look of natural grass. Sometimes there will be turf underneath the putting green, and the surface can be impacted by weight and pressure put on it.
This is a huge thing, especially in the golfing community as any sort of dents or changes to the surface could be interpreted as foul play or the intent to cheat.
It is considered to be the same as artificial grass since it is a form of artificial grass, but it is usually catered specifically to golf courses and golf clubhouses. It’ll be cheaper in the long run than having natural grass since it won’t have to be mowed or treated with pesticides to keep the range free and clean for golfing runs.
An important note to be aware of is that putting green is more commonly used in the areas surrounding and near the scoring holes on a golf course. This is how someone would usually know there is a hole to score in, but it could be used elsewhere for aesthetic purposes. (Source)
Kneeling on Putting Green?
- Kneeling on the putting grass won’t stain pants in the conventional sense like most green and healthy grass does.
- Grass stains are the least of anyone’s concerns when kneeling on putting green.
- It will be pricklier and less enjoyable texture-wise, and might also be squishy underneath due to the turf that is usually placed to help protect the putting green.
Kneeling may also leave dents in the putting green, which would be seen as altering the landscape and should be fixed before someone leaves.
This isn’t a place to have a picnic by any means, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t alright to kneel on the putting green. It definitely isn’t the most recommended, but it will not harm anyone to kneel on it. (Source)
Laying on Putting Green?
Laying on putting green is even less of a draw. Usually, the desire to lay on grass is about feeling its warmth or coolness and being able to look up at the sky and watch clouds go by.
On a golf course, there is a difference in what someone might be looking at. While it isn’t the most common, it is still just as comfortable as kneeling on it would be.
Laying on putting green is safe in the health sense, so if someone were to lay on it it wouldn’t be comfortable but it would not harm any more than they might’ve been by laying on regular grass.
There is certainly less of a draw to lay on the putting green unless playing golf, in which case there might be a reason to lay on it. Which we’ll discuss in the next section. (Source)
Golfing Rules for Putting Green
Putting green has a lot of different rules in the golfing sport. It’s the last stretch before the end of that hole and a golfer would move on to the next hole and continue the game.
Golfing has such a wide variety of rules that it can sometimes be confusing as to how specifically the terrain interacts with those rules, but they make a huge difference since every angle, every stroke, and every space will have the potential to affect the putt and subsequently, the score as well.
Kneeling or laying on the putting green is allowed during the game to see where to angle the putt, which is the way a golfer would swing and the angle at which they would be hoping to land a shot and hopefully sink the ball into the hole since golfing involves getting the ball into the hole in as little swings as possible. (Source)
In Mini Golf, putting green isn’t really used as much and if it is, it’s more like turf and less like artificial grass. This is mostly just for ease of maintaining the surface as well as keeping the surface from getting damaged. Putting green on a full golf course has much more of a chance of getting damaged than on a mini-golf course.
In the event that the putting green is damaged, it is relatively easy to fix and it is best to fix it without taking up too much time during gameplay. This does make it so there is little to no foul play and no cheating in a game.
The most time that a golfer would kneel or lay on the putting green would be to read a putt. To determine what direction and angle and with what force they need to be swinging at their ball to ensure that they get their ball as close to the scoring hole as possible. Some previous rules prohibited actions like this since it could be used as foul play, but those have since been rescinded.
It is completely game-legal to lay or kneel on the putting green to retrieve a ball, read a putt, and even swing if desired although that is not recommended. (Source)