<P> Just as there are good - quality grasses for putting greens, there are good - quality grasses for the fairway and rough . The quality of grass influences the roll of the ball as well as the ability of the player to "take a divot" (effectively, the ability to hit down into the ball, hitting the ball first, then hitting the turf and removing a portion of it as the club continues its arc). Fairways on prestigious tours, like the PGA Tour, are cut low . Mowing heights influence the play of the course . For example, the grass heights at U.S. Open events are alternated from one hole to the next in order to make the course more difficult . One example of this is the infamous roughs at U.S. Opens, which are often 3 to 5 inches high, depending on how close to the fairway or green the section of grass will be . This makes it difficult for a player to recover after a bad shot . </P> <P> Variants of grass used for fairways and roughs include bent grass, Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, rye grass, Kentucky bluegrass, and Zoysiagrass . As in putting - green grass types, not every grass type works equally well in all climate types . </P> <P> The putting green, or simply the green, is an area of very closely trimmed grass on relatively even, smooth ground surrounding the hole, allowing players to make precision strokes on it . To "putt" is to play a stroke on this surface, usually with the eponymous "putter" club, which has very low loft so that the ball rolls smoothly along the ground, and hopefully into the cup . The shape and topology of the green can vary almost without limit, but for practical purposes the green is usually flatter than other areas of the course, though gentle slopes and undulations can add extra challenge to players who must account for these variations in their putting line . The green typically does not include any fully enclosed hazards such as sand or water; however, these hazards can be--and often are--placed adjacent to the green, and depending on the shape of the green and surrounding hazards, and the location of the hole (which often changes from day to day to promote even wear of the turf of the green), there may not be a direct putting line from a point on the green to the cup . </P> <P> Golfers use a method known as "reading" the green to enhance their chances of making a putt . Reading a green involves determining the speed, grain, incline, decline and tilt of the green on the line of the putt . Most putts are not struck directly at the hole, instead they must be struck to take into account the characteristics of the green to arrive at the hole at the proper angle and speed . The best players will read the green by walking around the green and studying the characteristics of the green before addressing the ball . Reading the green and putting are considered by many golfers to be the most difficult part of the game . </P>

Part of golf course where grass is kept short