Device measures green smoothness at The Open

A device that allows greenkeepers to measure the smoothness of their playing greens is in the spotlight at The Open Championship this year.

The STRI Trueness Meter was first trialled at the 2009 Scottish Open and has been at the core of preparations for this summer's Open Championship

The so-called Trueness Meter, which was developed with expertise from the Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG) at Sheffield Hallam University, is being used at this year's event at St Andrews to chart the smoothness of the greens.

In use, the meter works by being pushed across the surface at a pace that reflects the speed of the ball, starting at a 10ft putt. With the aid of a metal wheel that has the same footprint and down pressure of a golf ball, the meter then measures the amount of vertical displacement (or smoothness) and lateral deviation (or trueness) in millimetres, allowing greenkeepers to pick up minute textural differences in the turf.

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