Cup Cutting

Three days per week we rotate the cup location on the greens.  The primary reason for this is to spread the wear from golf spikes out so the greens surface stays uniform.  Secondarily, it gives the player a different shot, and putt, at the hole. 

Our schedule for changing cups is based on the amount of play we expect to see that day as well as the concentration of play we've experienced prior to that day.  Our normal weekly changing schedule falls on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  We've learned that changing cups more frequently, due to the small size of our greens, causes problems due to insufficient time for old plugs to heal-in. They end up interfering with putts as we run out of 'un-plugged' cupping area.  It takes, on average, 5 days for a plug to heal to a point that you don't notice it.

Cup edges should look crisp and clean the day they are cut -- after a day of play, less so.  What we notice in wet weather is the soil tends to fall apart more easily and leaves the cup edge less than perfect.  This is usually the challenge whenever the soil is saturated - it's been an interesting April and May in this regard.     

Unfortunately, even with a fresh and cleanly cut cup, it's easy to damage a new cup edge while replacing the flagstick, picking your ball up, or fishing your ball out with a suction cup or putter head. We all try to be careful, but sometimes we misjudge and mash the edge - it happens.

When we leave the hole for play, provided our tools are sharp (freshly sharpened above) and working properly, we ensure the cup is perfect and ready to receive a ball.  Sadly, we can't guarantee what that cup will look like 15 minutes later, let alone 6 hours later. 
We will make every effort to leave that days cupping area as perfect as the weather, and our abilities, allow us.