Pitch mark maintainance

[Philip9210]

I know exactly what you mean, and it really irks me too. I play with one of my best friends often. He's not necessarily a beginner, but by no means that great of a player. He'll hit a ridiculously fat shot off the tee of a par 3, and fill it with the divot filler. But then, he'll get up on the green, pull the flag, and just throw it 5 or 6 feet and it lands on the green. It blows my mind. He also doesn't repair marks, but mostly bc he never hits a green on an approach shot

I wish i could repair ball marks...but i never hit the green

[Mr3Putt]

I wish i could repair ball marks...but i never hit the green

They may not be yours, but there are usually plenty to choose from. The green hitting will come.

[Mathlete1123]

Where can I get one of these bent metal repair tools on the right? I had one for several years that I got for free from a golf course but its gone missing. I've looked around at local stores but haven't found them anywhere, and online I can only find them for sale in bulk (150+ per order)

[Zeph]

I'd like to bump this one up, and repeat the question of the poster above. I thought it was better than to create a new thread.

After reading this thread I've always looked for one of these recommended tools, but have yet to find one.
I'm currently using a Titleist Scotty repair tool, but everytime I repair a pitch mark, I notice the big holes the tool creates when inserting it into the ground. I have seen the thin type once or twice in the hands of others, but that was before I knew they were prefered.

I live in Norway, have not been able to find them in any shop or course I've been at, so if anyone know where to get them, preferably somewhere I can order online which ship internationally, I'd apprechiate it. My club is a rather small one, so I've been thinking about buying a bulk of these and selling them to others on my course, or even give them away if they're cheap. I'm also planning on making a notice to put up on the course with the kind of instructions you can find on the link Erik provided to Lake View CC.

The three on the picture doesn't look to be the best design, I like the ones bent at an angle, if such exist, I'd like to have one myself.

[MSchumacher]

I've got a couple for free from a golf course around here. I can send you one if shipping isn't too crazy.

[sean_miller]

I was surprised to see which tools are considered "unexceptable" [sic]. When I worked on various golf courses during my college days, we learned to fix ball marks with long tees. You couldn't tell where the mark had been. A proper repair tool was a luxury item, quickly stolen by a coworker.

BTW - it's easier to fix some greens than others. If they're too hard or too wet (splashdown!) they're a challenge with any tool. Edited - speaking of poor spelling!

[imtomtomim]

This isn't exactly about ball marks, but rather divots. Is there anything to do to try to patch up your divots besides putting the beaver tail back on it and stomping it down?

[eddietandy]

This isn't exactly about ball marks, but rather divots. Is there anything to do to try to patch up your divots besides putting the beaver tail back on it and stomping it down?

Along those lines, what's the best way to repair a divot when the fairway grass seems to splinter (no beaver tail), and you're walking, so no cart w/ seed mixture.

[Zeph]

This isn't exactly about ball marks, but rather divots. Is there anything to do to try to patch up your divots besides putting the beaver tail back on it and stomping it down?

This would fit better on this thread:

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27410 I've visited 10 online stores by now, but still yet to find what I'm looking for. I won't give up! Edit: I'd like to add a quote from Erik in this thread from 2005 to encourage everyone to better pitch mark maintenance:

I must say, too, now that I know the proper way to fix a ball mark, it's amazing what I can do. I see brown spots on the green now and I literally core them out and pull the turf back over the hole.

[RnR]

Although I use the Fix-Master Pro, the gents at

www.markmender.com extend a VERY commendable offer to school golf teams for free Mark Menders! There is nothing that will make a youngin' smile more than something free. This is a great way to plant the right mental seed for proper green care. Kudos to Mark Mender!!

Sometimes I can't even figure out which one is mine. I sometimes golf with the 22 to 25 year old scene and most of them just don't know. They are outstanding individuals with impeccable moral compasses, but THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.

[Bubba_13]

SNIP..

I remember when I was only about 12 or 13 years old and the pro at one of our local city courses came up to my friend and I and spent about 10 min. with us teaching us how to fix the pitch marks in the green. When he was finished the short lesson, he handed each of us a repair tool. We were extremely thankful and very excited that the pro had taken the time to educate us and it was really cool that we got something for free. From that day on, I always fix at least two on a green.

Take the time to pass on the etiquette of the game or it will become lost.

[misty_mountainhop]

I remember when I was only about 12 or 13 years old and the pro at one of our local city courses came up to my friend and I and spent about 10 min. with us teaching us how to fix the pitch marks in the green. When he was finished the short lesson, he handed each of us a repair tool. We were extremely thankful and very excited that the pro had taken the time to educate us and it was really cool that we got something for free. From that day on, I always fix at least two on a green.

Nice avatar! Need to restock my Goslings.....

On thread, yup, the level of etiquette these days is poor all round. I always repair as many as I find each green I'm on. As for which tools are preferred, that's getting too anal for me. Use a long tee, use one of the "wide prong" repairers, use a small key etc; the grass isn't going to care much on a "standard" course and holes left by those kind of things rapidly fill as soil/turf re-expands. I guess dry greens will be more affected by larger tine/tee holes. The key point as that link states is too tease the compressed turf from the front of the mark back into the mark. I always use my putter to gently tamp down the repaired mark once I'm done.

[ChappyEight]

Just ran across this on YouTube. This is great knowledge that people should know.

I know that myself and most of my playing partners were repairing our ball marks incorrectly (the lift method) our whole lives. Basically, we followed the bad advice of our fathers.

[FX(TM)]

Great video, I know a lot of people who don't do it that way. I used to lift it, but I found by trial and error that the pushing inwards works a lot better! Hopefully a lot of people on this forum that lifted before now push.

[colin007]

dude needs to get a ball mark fixer...

[plugged]

This is so needed. I would guess 95%+ of casual golfers do not repair ball marks.

It is rude and ignorant not to do so. The only excuse for not repairing a ball mark is that you honestly cannot find it. However, if everyone strived to repair their own plus one more, then the "lost" marks would be fixed by somene eventually.

Another reason I hate playing public courses. But these days, I have no choice.

[TigerWoodz]

Its a good video ,i found it on youtube awhile ago....works really well too....

[bong_crosby]

What's a ball mark?