What’s the best way to play a False Front Green? Now, first thing we need to decide is just exactly what is the False Front Green? Basically it’s a green where the front area slopes down towards you. And the front area is so severely sloped that it won’t actually hold the ball. So you can go ahead and land the ball on that slope but it’s not going to stay on that slope but it’s going to roll back off the front and potentially down the bank almost back towards you.

Probably the most famous False Front Green that you’ll see on the major championship circuit is the 9th Green Augusta, where when they had put the pin towards the front it looks like there is a big area short of that hole but actually it’s all False Front. You land the ball on there, a bit of back spin; it will come off the hill and roll 30/40 yards back down onto the fairway. So if you can see a green that has a False Front, it’s important that in your mind’s eye you remove that section of green and you don’t even try and hit the ball onto it.

Effectively, that front area of green is not there. Imagine it’s a bunker; so when you’re standing there addressing the shots you’re trying to not look at that part of the green, you’re trying to clear that part of the green and not just clear it but clear it as if it was a bunker. So if I’ve got a 50 yard shot and the first 40 yards aren’t able to land on it because we’ve got the False Fronts, I’m trying to fly it all the way over. I’m not thinking about pitching the ball out there at 40 yards and running it up the green. I’m thinking about clearing the 40 yards as if it was a bunker, flying it all the way to the top end.

So it’s just being a little bit more assertive and a bit more aggressive when you’re playing to False Front Greens. Imagine the False Front is not there. Imagine it’s a bunker. Treat it like a bunker. Clear over the top of it and that should help improve your scores when you’re playing on False Front Greens.