What Is 'the Fat Part' of the Green?

We often hear golfers talk about aiming for "the fat part" of the putting green on approach shots. What does that mean? It's all about choosing the safest aiming point.

The expression "the fat part of the green" refers to the largest, safest part of the green: the place you can aim for in order to try to keep your ball away from water, bunkers, rough or other problems that might exist around the green; the place you can play for rather than trying a risky shot directed at a pin placed close to the edge or in a more precarious location.

Aiming for "the fat of the green" means not being tempted to try to play to a hole location that is very near the edge of the green or very close to problems (bunkers, etc.) just off the green, and over which you would have to play. (Note that the word "part" is sometimes left out of the expression, as in "I played to the fat of the green." "The fat of the green" and "the fat part of the green" are exactly the same in meaning.)

Davies' Dictionary of Golfing Terms (affiliate links, commissions earned for book titles) defines the expression this way: "Wide and safe, referring to the largest expanse of a putting green, making the easiest target for an approach without striving to get close to the pin."

A reference work about golf lingo titled Let the Big Dog Eat! defines "fat part of the green" this way: "The safe part of the green, away from bunkers or water."

A couple examples of usage:

  • From Arnold Palmer's 1961 book Hit It Hard!, "Since I was leading the tournament, I should have hit for the fat part of the green and taken my chances of getting down in two putts."
  • Jordan Spieth, quoted in 2021: "Just tried to hit it to the fat parts of the greens when I was out of position, and try to attack (the pins) when I could."
The earliest usage of the phrase we've found in an American newspaper is a quote by Ben Hogan in 1951. We wonder if the phrase may have originated from someone mis-hearing "the flat part of the green." Another possibility has to do with green shapes. The Palmer quote above came in the context of Palmer talking about the 16th hole at Augusta National. The green on that hole, Palmer wrote, was "shaped like a fat man with a small head."

More definitions:

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