While watching the Crowne Plaza Invitational today I learned a new thing to worry about. Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson were playing the 11th hole, and the announcers started talking about the grain of the fairway grass and needing to hit drives to the side of the fairway that was down-grain from tee to green. It seems the fairways are mowed in different directions on the right and left sides, so the grain runs in opposite directions on each side. Hit it on the down-grain side and the drive rolls longer.

That’s a new one for me. I have enough trouble figuring out the grain on the greens, and I’ve played Bermuda grass for nearly all of my golfing life. I can’t imagine how confused I’d get if I started trying to figure out where to hit my drive based on the grain of the grass.

And I thought the grain on the greens usually ran toward the afternoon sun. Am I supposed to worry about how they mow the greens? Maybe they”ll start passing out mowing charts along with pin position charts at the higher class courses? I think I’ll start asking about the direction they mowed today when I check in at the pro shop. That should identify me as an informed and sophisticated golfer, don’t you think?

Of course, information about the direction of the grain in the rough would be of more use to me. I spend more time there.

And what about the grain of sand, huh?