Ristometer, Not Risk-o-meter!

Gone are the days when golfers will be able to blame the green after an easy putt has gone begging.

Turf scientists have invented a machine which could help greenkeepers keep their surfaces as smooth as silk.

The Ristometer detects the speed at which a ball travels across the green and highlights where the imperfections lie.

Infra-red light is used to track the ball and computer analysis of the results reveals any bumps or uneven surfaces, invisible to the human eye, which can be ironed out by dressing and rolling.

The device has been developed by Roch Gaussoin, turf scientist at the University of Nebraska, who said: "At the moment it's simply a research device that will allow us to develop better management of greens."

However not all traditionalists have welcomed the breakthrough. Chris Kennedy, head greenkeeper at Wentworth, said: "God forbid the day that greens are perfectly flat. It would be so boring."