Green repair and divots - do you fix your stuff

[Sluggo42]

I personally take great pride in my green repairs as I kind of tear them up all day. But I also end up making 3 or 4 other repairs too, because so many people are too good to fix their own ball marks. Plus I hate having a big hole right in my line.

I look at it as an art form, cuz lets face it, if they're soft, and you come in steep, there will be serious damage.

Loosen up that dirt you just deeply compressed, and take a moment to unfold that grass you just mangled. Get everything fluffed up and straightened out, then tap it all down flush with your putter.

Karma will put your ball in a line with your crappy repair work when you really need a smooth roll.

 

Also, replace your divots! Sprinkle seed mix on edges, lightly tap down with your foot.

 

Rake the trap when your done pooping in there! I can't tell you how weak you are by thinking you are so important you don't need to rake up your mess! You are NOT that important mr fancy clubs!

 

If more people would exercise a little effort, the courses would play and look nicer. It only takes a moment, and in my view, is a part of the game.

 

Sorry, rant over...

[Paul S]

As far as the greens are concerned, I never leave a green without fixing 3-4 ball marks. That's a pet peeve for me. I usually replace divots, though interestingly, I was golfing with a friend from college recently who got his degree in turf management and he was telling me about how replacing the divots doesn't matter because that grass will die. It's better to just fill the whole thing with the seed/sand mix because when you rip up that pelt of turf, you sever the grass from the roots. At least that's how I think I remember him explaining it.

 

I agree though, FIX BALL MARKS EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hula Rock]

I was always taught to fix mine and another. Unless I see more that bugs the crap out of me......

[Sluggo42]

I've heard that too that divots won't take. But, I think when the soil is damp enough they will. Might have to do with the depth too, I dunno for sure... That's why I seed them too I guess....

[hckymeyer]

I usually go through at least 2 bottles of seed/sand mix in a round from filling in the fairways and I'm a stickler for fixing anything on the green around me that I see.

 

I subscribe to the good karma school of golf and every little bit helps

 

On a side note one of my biggest pet peeves is when you know you hit the green, and you know there should be a ball mark, but for the life of me I just can't find it! I hate it when that happens, I'll end up fixing 5 or 10 that are nowhere near where my ball hit, but it bugs the crap out of me when I can't find my own.

[Sluggo42]

I usually go through at least 2 bottles of seed/sand mix in a round from filling in the fairways and I'm a stickler for fixing anything on the green around me that I see.

 

I subscribe to the good karma school of golf and every little bit helps

 

On a side note one of my biggest pet peeves is when you know you hit the green, and you know there should be a ball mark, but for the life of me I just can't find it! I hate it when that happens, I'll end up fixing 5 or 10 that are nowhere near where my ball hit, but it bugs the crap out of me when I can't find my own.

Haha I know what you mean!

My new course doesn't have that problem tho, my landings look like mortar shells

[Bobtrumpet]

It seems to me that the suitability of a ball mark repair tool is inversely proportional the the cost (i.e., expensive repair tools work for crap, and the cheap $1-2 ones made form flat metal work best). The free plastic tools belie this, however; they're crap, too.

 

I've taken to finding a few extra marks on the green and repairing them as well.

 

I've learned here in Texas that Bermuda divots should not be replaced, as they won't take; just fill them in with the mix the club provides. Quite different from growing up playing in Maryland with very different turf grasses.

[ZenGolfer]

Always. I actually love fixing pitch marks because it means that Im hitting the green, so Im striking the ball fairly well that day.

[dru_]

I was always taught to fix mine and another. Unless I see more that bugs the crap out of me......

 

Depends upon the type of grass. Basically, your 'creeping' grasses ( bermuda, zoysia, red fescue ) will generally either take or leave enough root that your replaced divot provides enough moisture retention that it won't matter. Other grasses ( most of the fescue family ) will simply die once the roots have been exposed to the air. unless they are recovered and saturated with moisture. All of that said, with regards to divots, I fix them when I can, but I find that few courses provide sand near many landing zones so when I am walking, I rarely HAVE sand to patch with (which I find frustrating as hell). This summer, I went to carrying an old water bottle that I fill with the local sand/seed mix at the first box I see of it so that I *can* patch when walking. I think what frustrates me the most is the people that won't repair them because they have sand on the cart, but fail to take it with them to the ball.

[westy]

Well your a lucky chap RP, sadly to many people at courses I play do not repair divots, pitch marks or know how to rake a bunker!

 

I'm a picker, often don't make divots of any real size until I'm hitting 9 iron and shorter - but I'll sort a few divots before I move off. On the greens I try to repair any pitch marks I see - but I could end up taking 6 hours to get round!

 

I'd point the finger at societies and visitors but to be honest that's too easy an answer - when I learnt golf the pro spent nearly as long teaching us youngsters etiquette as he did teaching us to play; I just don't think many players respect the courses and other players enough.

 

Right rant over

[RookieBlue7]

I usually treat divots however the course wants them treated. If they have sand/seed on the cart, they don't want the divot replaced. They want you to sand and seed it. Those won't survive anyway. Ask anyone with a turf management degree. Only way they're getting replaced and not just sand/seed is if the course instructs me to or doesn't have sand/seed.

 

As far as pitch marks, I repair mine and at least 2 others. The proper method of turf repair is required though, as repairing the pitch marks incorrectly does more damage than not fixing them. Most places sell a long prong repair tool. Worst thing they could do because they encourage bad habits. Most people go too deep with them and pry up. You might as well be spraying round-up on that spot. The Scotty divot tools are the worst about encouraging bad habits because the prongs are so long and so many people haven't been taught the proper way to use it. I generally use the toe of my putter for the majority of the repair to push the grass back toward the center then use a tool to lightly and shallowly pry the dirt back up in the direction of the mark. Lots I've seen just stick the prongs in hub deep all the way around the mark and pry it all up like hell. That's wrong and kills more grass than it heals. A properly repaired pitch mark will heal in 5 days versus an improperly repaired one taking 21-28 days depending on drought conditions. An unrepaired one takes 18-22 days. If you've never been taught the proper way to repair one, I'd rather you leave it and I'll fix it when I come behind you.

 

Raking bunkers is also a pet peeve of mine, especially when people don't know how to take one. You rake in the direction of the green. Don't take perpendicular to the green unless you want a tongue lashing from the person that lands in the trap behind you.

[kygolfer1980]

I always repair my ball mark as well as a couple others on the greens. Occasionally the golf gods will reward me with a birdie for doing this. I don't take much of a divot but I fill in gouges in the fairway when I see them. I play mostly at a city course. It was owned by the state until about 3 years ago. When the city took it over, they lowered the prices and the rounds played more than doubled as well as the ball marks. Many of the people who play out here are not avid golfers and leave the mark everywhere.

[fozcycle]

ABSOLUTELY! As the leader of a group of 80 golfers, I urge them to always repair their divots & ball marks........" Theirs and one more..."

[rickkimbrell]

I was playing last year while on vacation at a course near our condo. I went over by myself and paired up with a couple of locals. We had played probably 7 or 8 holes and one of they guys says to me..."You are making us feel bad. We play here all the time and you have fixed more fairway divots playing with us than we probably have fixed all year!" I told him, it's your golf course, you should be taking care of it. He said that right after I went over and got a sand bottle off his cart to fill up a couple more because both of mine were empty.

[MattF]

I always fix mine and others on the green. I use a Mark Mender tool...it fixes the pitch mark properly and it's too easy to use.

 

Mark Mender

 

Matt

[BIG STU]

I am like you guys I fix my mark and several others that was one of the things my old man taught me. Also on the fairways I do as the course asks whether replacing divots or filling with sand seed mix. In fact I trap the ball so I do create divots with every iron shot. At my home course I do get a couple of extra sand bottles even though they have stations on a couple of the crossroads on the course. Down here we get a lot of visitors that don't give a hoot about raking bunkers or filling divots or fixing ball marks etc. A couple of the members at my home course will literally jump the tourists asses if they see them not repairing their damage. And like Rookie said there is a proper way to fix a ball mark and a proper way to rake a trap. I respect every course I play regardless where it is at. I for one know how hard it is to maintain a course having worked on quite a few over the years and I really appreciate the efforts put forth by the staff.