Which statement best describes the effect of mowing height and rolling on golf greens' speed and surface quality?

• A. Lower mowing height and frequent rolling increase green speed but reduce surface resilience.
• B. Higher mowing height with frequent rolling increases speed more than low mowing.
• C. Rolling has no effect on green speed.
• D. Maintaining inconsistent mowing height improves playability.

Answer: (A)

Lowering the mowing height makes the leaf blade shorter, which reduces resistance and lets the ball roll faster on the surface. Rolling smooths out small surface imperfections, further increasing speed by creating a flatter, more uniform putting surface. But both practices reduce the turf’s cushion and ability to recover from wear, so the surface resilience drops. The combination—lower height plus frequent rolling—therefore speeds up greens while compromising their resilience. Other options misstate the relationship: rolling does affect speed; higher mowing height generally slows speed; and inconsistent mowing height would hurt playability rather than improve it.