Provided is a flat-faced buffing pad that includes a plurality of apertures of variable size. The apertures are generally larger in the areas toward the center of the pad, while being generally smaller in the areas toward the periphery of the pad. Some embodiments further include apertures disposed along one or more concentric circular rings located along the front surface and generally symmetrical about the rotation axis. These configurations of apertures provide both superior cut performance and superior finish. Moreover, these configurations minimize several undesirable aspects in a polishing operation, such as slinging of the polishing compound, vibration, wobbling, and drag felt by the operator as the rotary pad slides across the surface to be polished.