In this golf tip, I’m going to explain how you can tackle multi-level greens, or greens with more than one level.

Multi-level putting greens can be very difficult to put on and bring a host of potential problems for a number of reasons:

1. They’re not that common, so you can’t practice much with them.

2. Judging the rhythm is difficult, again because you don’t have much experience playing them.

3. The pace on downhill putts is almost impossible to control as gravity takes over when the ball starts to run downhill.

4. It’s just as easy to make three putts or even worse on multi-level greens.

But before we look at how to tackle the multi-tiered green, let’s see what you can do before your ball lands on the green.

Obviously, in a perfect world, we want to hit the golf ball at the level where the hole is. But we don’t always make perfect shots! If the hole is on the upper level at the back of the green and there are obstacles beyond the green, this can be a very dangerous shot.

In this situation I would aim for the lower level as it is a safer shot and then try to make two putts…

Another situation could be that the hole is at the lower level but just at the bottom of the slope to the upper level.

There are a couple of options open to you here…

First of all, he could ‘under’ the club. That is, take one less club than you think you need. This should ensure that you don’t go over the hole and accidentally hit your ball on the top level, which as you’ll see later is a difficult position to putt in.

Your other option is to try to hit the ball past the hole directly onto the slope. Club selection can be tricky when it comes to doing this, but if you manage to pick the right club, the ball should roll downhill to the correct level. In some situations the ball can run very close to the hole, although you obviously need a bit of luck to do that!

By far the hardest putts are the ones where you have to kick the slope and then either go up or down it, depending on what level you are at. So try to at least aim for the correct side of the green if you can.

So how should you approach putts once you hit the green?

How to approach the laying of a slope at a higher level.

Your first and foremost priority is to work on the right rhythm to get the ball leveling up. The line isn’t that important… If you don’t get the ball to the top tier, the ball will run down the hill and you’ll be right back where you started.

Once you’ve judged the rhythm, you can work on the line. You need to break this down into two parts: what will the ball do at the lower level and slope, and what will it do once it reaches the upper level?

Remember that the ball will spin less as it travels faster and then spin more as it slows down.

How to tackle going down a slope to a lower green.

These can be more difficult than setting slopes, as you can’t stop the ball at the bottom of the slope if the hole is located there – gravity takes over.

As with the slope setup, your main goal is to get the ball down the slope. Don’t be tempted to roll the ball ONLY to the top of the slope and risk leaving it on the top level…

When you reread these putts, remember that the ball will spin less as it picks up speed as it travels down the slope. Again, split the putt in two when you read the line: how will it turn at the top level, and how will it turn as it goes down the slope and at the bottom level?

How to approach putts across the green and then to another level.

These are typically the most difficult putts you can face on a multi-tiered green. This is because it is very difficult to read the line of putt combined with the pace of your putt. The best way to approach these is again to break it down into two parts, paying close attention to the pace at which you need to hit your putt.

Also focus on how the ball will spin during the first part of the putt when the ball is moving faster, and then how it will spin as it slows down.

My final golf tip when laying multi-level greens is to err on the side of caution. If you can get your ball within 5 or 6 feet, you’ve done well. Don’t try to be too greedy by going to the hole and then watching your ball roll back down the slope or leaving your ball on the upper slope when you needed it to get down to the lower level.