The gentle strokes at the putting green can make or break a day on the links.

Ideally, the speed of the ball on display there will also be a great indicator of how the course’s greens will play.

Zac Price, assistant golf professional at the Kitsap Golf and Country Club, said most people spend less than 15 minutes urging slow dribbles or rushing sharp raps at the cup.

His position behind the counter at the pro shop affords him a perfect view of the goings on at the putting green.

“Most people will get their swing in on the range and then practice their putting and then go chip around,” Price said. “Then there are those who go to the first tee and spend a few holes catching up on what they missed.”

It’s the junior members, he said, who show more devotion, setting chalk lines on the green surface. They will also spend considerable time in various thoughtful poses.

“They’re learning the game,” he said. “They are really dedicated to improve.”

Most people consider the putting greens a needed stop, to get a “that day” feel for the course.

“You really want them to go the same speed as the other greens,” Price said. “Speaking as a golfer myself, I’d be a little miffed they were different. That would be a lot of missed putts.”

Scott Bell of Port Orchard, was all set to play his brother Easter Sunday at the Madrona Links Golf and Country Club in Gig Harbor. But, due to traffic worries, he’d left early and arrived early.

“This is a driver/wedge kind of course,” Bell said. “It’s one that makes you feel good about your game though it runs long.”

It has its challenging moments though, including speedy greens.

“I tend to get here early and spend 15 to 20 minutes out here,” he said. “I really use it to get a feel for how the greens are playing. They’re really fast right now. They just aerated them. See all the holes are there, and I knew that.”

Greens are generally thought to be the most important areas of a course. Their upkeep is a science. They need good drainage and are high maintenance. If they don’t get it they can be slower than anybody expects. The other extreme is a green that’s like playing on a stone surface or “slick as frog hair,” as Price has heard them described.

Sam Scott, a young pro shop assistant at Madrona Links, said he gives the putting green a pass most times.

“Personally, I don’t give it too much emphasis,” he said. “But people can be out there two minutes or two hours.”

He said its always a good diversion to see how people approach their putts, or, like him, give it a miss

“Often that’s all they do is practice their putting and not their swing,” he said. “Then they go out there to the first tee and swing and wonder why their shot’s messed up. But they are ready to putt, which they do whenever they finally get there [to the green].”

He said people generally ignore the neighboring practice chipping green, though he does not.

“That’s just as important, if not more so, for an amateur golfer,” he said. “How often will they hit it right on the green?”

The answer always is — not often enough.