Fixing divots on greens

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

And, Dave2512, when there are a lot of scattered divots already there, you can still start with one of them to make your strips, and basically "connect the dots."  Either way, you are taking less turf.

I was being facetious but you should see our range, hacked to bits. At the facility I put in serious practice at they have ten tiers of grass and they rotate as often as they can.

[divot dave]

Originally Posted by ladders11

Re: ball marks on the green, I have regularly played a par three course full of them, and have been forced to give up on fixing one other than mine. I always fix mine and any in my vicinity, but I am not the greenskeeper and sadly don't have enough time and energy to repair the whole green. On a nice course it is rare to find a ball mark, but on a cheap course it is all too common and frustrating. I don't know whether it is uninformed beginners, or some sort of sociopath who leaves their ball mark. You would think there is a certain amount of ability required to put that spin and trajectory on the ball that the marks must come from better players, which sadly would suggest the sociopath is more likely.

My guess is (and I see this a lot) that on cheap courses, you have a lot of people practicing their approach on 1 hole... usually early in the morning or during low traffic times. They usually don't even have the mindset to repair the ball mark b/c they're in practice mode, hitting a dozen or more balls all over the green. I do this every so often on my local 9 hole course but am diligent to repair all of my ball marks, even though the rest of the green sucks.

[ladders11]

Originally Posted by divot dave

My guess is (and I see this a lot) that on cheap courses, you have a lot of people practicing their approach on 1 hole... usually early in the morning or during low traffic times. They usually don't even have the mindset to repair the ball mark b/c they're in practice mode, hitting a dozen or more balls all over the green. I do this every so often on my local 9 hole course but am diligent to repair all of my ball marks, even though the rest of the green sucks.

You might be right, people practicing and hitting extra balls. What is frustrating is that for some people the little Par-3 is a means to work on their game and take it out to their club, while for others it is more of a destination. It is decent enough to have a nice competition, and there are probably women and children who get more enjoyment out of it because of the shorter holes.

Even if it is just a practice venue, there is no need to act like you are TW and blaze around leaving ball marks in your wake. I don't care as much how the marks are repaired, just bend over and make the effort.

[colin007]

I am sorry for the douchebag comment, it may have been childish, but i stand by the opinion that it is unconscionable to refuse to fix a ball mark just because somebody else made it.

[Dave2512]

Got paired up with two guys this AM that were quick to repair marks. He beat me to mine on more than one occasion. Both are rangers at that course.

[VMAN]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Now I don't know anything about how grass grows, so maybe these superintendents are right, but reducing the amount of grass that needs to regrow by 62% seems like the way to go to me.

I don't know much either but I've heard it from two different superintendents who run nice ranges and courses.  Either way they make it work.  You should also consider that given a certain laid out area for the day you're leaving more edge area and that the fill being spread out has a better chance or remaining in the future since it's adjacent to much more established sod.  It's pretty evident that it seems to work on our range, but then again I take divots in a clean line one after the other because that is how I use my sandtrap alignement aid.  :)  So I'm not helping the cause, but I got nice organized divots.

Edit:  most people do not take nice divots leaving some roots.  Most don't make divots and a lot make really deep ones.  Really deep divots all in a line take a while to regrow and compact to nice sod.  They'll grow grass but the ground will be soft.  We have some gougers at our club, and I can walk the range and tell where they practiced weeks afterwards even though it's been filled and raked smooth.

[theropod]

Complete noob alert! I'm an old man, gonna be 59 in a couple months (odometer rolled back). I've picked up the game again after a nearly 30 year layoff. I cannot believe the changes in so many aspects of golfing, nor have I readily accepted the drastic changes in my body since I played regularly. One of these changes in the game is the lack of concern for the course displayed by so many. I take it as a great honor to hit a shot well enough to leave a pitch mark that requires my attention. I find it disturbing to hit an approach shot well, and watch the ball roll toward the pin, only to have it deflected by dropping off in an unrepaired crater. I've seen this happen twice this summer. Talk about inspire some green repair, and bitching! While Arkansas has a few very nice courses I can't afford to play them very often so I'm forced to play muni's and courses near me. Of these one courses one stands apart, to me, as clean from tee to pins on all 18. Mountain Ranch, a part of the Natural State Golf Trail I think. Those greens were like a pool table, and very receptive to repair. (The fairways were tilted and bent, but as smooth as any I've ever seen). One could spot a repaired mark here and there, but one had to look for them, and I saw no fresh ones aside from those my partners and I created. No, I don't work there or profit if y'all go play there. Gimmie a heads up and I'll "play" with you though, as I love the place. I think others see untended pitch marks, and it pisses them off, they just foot wedge over a bit and putt, walk off the green and take the "Bad Tiger®" attitude around the course. Having been raised on a farm my mannerisms have been conditioned to fix things, so I do. I fix any pitch marks I find, unless the green is just crap, and I fix the ones I can. It's no big deal, because I'm not out to play the game of my life on that particular day. I'm there to have fun and test my worn old body, and youthful spirit. I can still pull off some chips that make me pump the old fist, and those shots feel awesome! Playing in a DU benefit tournament recently I won 3 holes for our team by dropping the pill within 2 feet on chips (all with my SW). Yes, I left prideful craters, and I fixed them while the other team 3 putted one of those holes, ha. The idea of my play effecting someone behind me disturbs me, and to my detriment. I don't like leaving divots on the fairway, and I tend to brush my irons too flat across the ground, and lose power. Pulling a 10" strip of turf out with a sand wedge to get that loft and backspin might get me to that high pin, but god what a scar! I wouldn't want my second shot on a par 5 dropping into one of those! I'll take a stroke now and then to keep from blowing up the joint. Take care all, great forum! (sorry to be so long winded). Roger

[colin007]

hey Roger, welcome to the sandtrap!  we need more guys like you who take care of the greens, kudos and keep up the good work!

also, dont feel bad about taking a divot.  its part of the game, and the grass grows back.  its an inevitable result, and you shouldnt purposefully not take a divot because youre afraid of gouging the turf.