Maddening might be an understatement when after what you thought was a perfect putting stroke on the correct read, the ball comes up a couple of turns short, blows by the hole or moves slightly off target.

Those kinds of lost strokes can sink a great round.

The greens at Glaze Meadow, in particular, feature subtle breaks that can confound a golfer. That is by design, of course. But those subtleties can be conquered, with a little know-how.

While most of us are reasonably adept at reading the slope of a green, many of us might not think about a putting surface’s turf grain. And ignoring the grain can cost strokes, particularly on relatively new pure bentgrass greens like Glaze Meadow’s.

The good news is that with greens like Glaze Meadow, judging the green is not particularly difficult. The trick is to look at the shade of the green, says Jeff Fought, Black Butte Ranch’s director of golf.

The rule of thumb is that the lighter, almost silvery shade of green means that grass is down grain. Down grain putts, of course, mean quicker putts.

The parts of the green that are a deeper, darker green tell a golfer that the putt is actually against the grain. That means a slower putt. That might seem difficult to decipher, but not really. In fact, the subtlety of the grain can be plain to see once a golfer knows what to look for. Take a look here at Glaze Meadow.

The difference can be distinct.

“Look around the green and you’ll see that there is definitely a color change,” advises Jeff Fought, Black Butte Ranch’s director. “That is definitely a truism up there (at Glaze Meadow).”

Next time you play at Glaze Meadow keep the grain in mind. You might just save a few strokes during the course of the round.

Book a tee time online, call 855-210-5305 or the Golf Shop at 541-595-1545.

For more information on how to take a lesson from Jeff or any of our Black Butte Ranch instructors, visit blackbutteranch.com/golf/lessons-and-instructions. The link also includes a calendar of Black Butte Ranch’s golf schools, clinics and camps.