How To Properly Repair Ball Marks

[pganapathy]

On 8/8/2020 at 4:09 PM, dmnoland said:

So how am I supposed to fix my divot from today?

How do you rebuild the side of the cup so others behind you can putt?

Was that a Hole in One and do we all get a drink on you 😜

[Double Mocha Man]

3 hours ago, pganapathy said:

Was that a Hole in One and do we all get a drink on you 😜

In that case I think you would call the pro shop and suggest they send a greenskeeper out to recut a new cup.  That crater needs a little more work than your typical ball mark.

Or call the city and ask them to come out to repair a pothole.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Double Mocha Man

[phan52]

Our greenkeeper has done an exceptional job in recent years maintaining our course hard and fast, particularly the greens. The hardness of the greens makes it difficult for the average player to make much of a ball-mark and they are hard to find, but they are there. Lately I have been looking around and fixing as many as four or five on every hole, some very close to the pin where I find it hard to believe that someone didn't see it. I notice that some very good players are so focused on their game that they don't even look for a ball-mark. Sometimes I find divots in the fairway that are as big as a small shoe and I know by its shape and size that it was made with a well struck shot. How can they just walk away without replacing that divot?

[WillieT]

18 hours ago, phan52 said:

Sometimes I find divots in the fairway that are as big as a small shoe and I know by its shape and size that it was made with a well struck shot. How can they just walk away without replacing that divot?

Too busy maybe?   I know on some of the courses I play here, if you take a divot the soil is so sandy the grass flies apart and there is no plug to put back.  Also some courses have not put the sand mix back in the sand bottles so no repair there either.   However I agree, if you can find the divot or have divot mix available, make the repair on the fairways.   Also the greens on the course I play most lately are hard to leave a pitch mark on, does not keep me from looking and repairing as needed.  

[Oleschool]

Repairing or changing the course seems to me to violate the rules of golf.

1) play the course as you find it!

2) play the ball as it lies!

 

[saevel25]

4 minutes ago, Oleschool said:

Repairing or changing the course seems to me to violate the rules of golf.

1) play the course as you find it!

2) play the ball as it lies!

Your generalization of the rules is incorrect... The course is broken up into different areas, and different rules apply. 

Quote

c. Improvements Allowed on Putting Green
During a round and while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a, a player may take these two actions on the putting green, no matter whether the ball is on or off the putting green:

(1) Removal of Sand and Loose Soil. Sand and loose soil on the putting green (but not anywhere else on the course) may be removed without penalty.
(2) Repair of Damage. A player may repair damage on the putting green without penalty by taking reasonable actions to restore the putting green as nearly as possible to its original condition, but only:
By using his or her hand, foot or other part of the body or a normal ball-mark repair tool, tee, club or similar item of normal equipment, and

Without unreasonably delaying play (see Rule 5.6a).

But if the player improves the putting green by taking actions that exceed what is reasonable to restore the putting green to its original condition (such as by creating a pathway to the hole or by using an object that is not allowed), the player gets the general penalty for breach of Rule 8.1a.

“Damage on the putting green ” means any damage caused by a person or outside influence, such as:

Ball marks, shoe damage (such as spike marks) and scrapes or indentations caused by equipment or a flagstick,

Old hole plugs, turf plugs, seams of cut turf and scrapes or indentations from maintenance tools or vehicles,

Animal tracks or hoof indentations, and

Embedded objects (such as a stone, acorn or tee).

 

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Oleschool said:

Repairing or changing the course seems to me to violate the rules of golf.

1) play the course as you find it!

2) play the ball as it lies!

Yes, those are the underlying principles, but there are many many exceptions and modifications of those principles.  Most entered the rules as a response to the growth of the game, to its expansion into geographically and geologically and climatically different areas of the work, and in response to changing technology and agronomy.  The rules around greens, marking the ball and repair of ball marks, came about around 1960, almost certainly due to advances in irrigation, in maintenance equipment, and in agronomy.  Greens could be maintained in a much smoother and faster manner, so it was more appropriate to ensure a reasonably smooth roll of the golf ball.  Repair of ballmarks has never been against the rules (except when such repair improved your line of play, and has been completely within the rules for more than 60 years.

[amishboy51]

2 hours ago, Oleschool said:

Repairing or changing the course seems to me to violate the rules of golf.

1) play the course as you find it!

2) play the ball as it lies!

 

Perhaps I misunderstood, but I thought we were talking mainly about fixing fairway divots and ball marks on the green that weren’t necessarily under our ball or in our line?

[Oleschool]

Just cos the usga says it’s ok don’t make it ok in my opinion 

the ancient rules of golf existed before the usga 

What if we actually had to follow the rules of golf?

and I mean the ancient rules of Golf!

1) play the course as you find it!

(no excepts)

2) play the ball as it lies!

(only exception being to tee again with 2 stroke penalty for out of bounds ) and no grounding club in a bunker: 

forbidden practices:

1) never allowed relief

2) never allowed to touch your ball after teeing up

3) never allowed preferred tees

and an old bag of clubs too!

any three woods

any 8 irons 

man old style blade putter

a pitching wedge 

a sand wedge 

( no high lofted wedges and no hybrids )

True spirit of the game, I find it much more rewarding playing golf the old school way, a real mans game!

No offense to modern ways intended, just wondering out loud, just my opinion, everybody’s got one!

[Darkfrog]

3 minutes ago, Oleschool said:

Just cos the usga says it’s ok don’t make it ok in my opinion 

the ancient rules of golf existed before the usga 

What if we actually had to follow the rules of golf?

and I mean the ancient rules of Golf!

1) play the course as you find it!

(no excepts)

2) play the ball as it lies!

(only exception being to tee again with 2 stroke penalty for out of bounds ) and no grounding club in a bunker: 

forbidden practices:

1) never allowed relief

2) never allowed to touch your ball after teeing up

3) never allowed preferred tees

and an old bag of clubs too!

any three woods

any 8 irons 

man old style blade putter

a pitching wedge 

a sand wedge 

( no high lofted wedges and no hybrids )

True spirit of the game, I find it much more rewarding playing golf the old school way, a real mans game!

No offense to modern ways intended, just wondering out loud, just my opinion, everybody’s got one!

I'm noticing a trend in your posts.

If that's the way you like to play golf, great.

I'll keep my modern equipment and play by the current rules.

[saevel25]

Ok, definitely a troll. Kind of shady posting when you just copy and paste exactly what you posted before with out adding anything meaningful. 

 

[WillieT]

1 hour ago, Oleschool said:

Just cos the usga says it’s ok don’t make it ok in my opinion 

the ancient rules of golf existed before the usga 

What if we actually had to follow the rules of golf?

and I mean the ancient rules of Golf!

1) play the course as you find it!

(no excepts)

2) play the ball as it lies!

(only exception being to tee again with 2 stroke penalty for out of bounds ) and no grounding club in a bunker: 

forbidden practices:

1) never allowed relief

2) never allowed to touch your ball after teeing up

3) never allowed preferred tees

and an old bag of clubs too!

any three woods

any 8 irons 

man old style blade putter

a pitching wedge 

a sand wedge 

( no high lofted wedges and no hybrids )

True spirit of the game, I find it much more rewarding playing golf the old school way, a real mans game!

No offense to modern ways intended, just wondering out loud, just my opinion, everybody’s got one!

This gave me a real chuckle - not that you desire to play a "real man's game".   Okay, so you don't fix divots and repair ball marks, that just means those who play behind you most likely will and will have the pleasure of knowing they left it better than they found it.   

BTW - in the real man's game does that include hickory shafts on the clubs, non-modern balls and teeing from small sand piles?    

[mcanadiens]

1 hour ago, Oleschool said:

a real mans game!

Well it's not like throwing rocks at each other, but it will do in a pinch. 

 

[Bernie Fay]

Really loved it, Very good approach for  repairing the ball marks! Not seen much golfers doing it but i hope after reading this piece and video visitors and golfers will start doing it.

[flopster]

Google Image Result for https://assetcloud01.roccommerce.net/w458-h458-cpad//_reinders/10/1/4/27200.jpg

I used to use one these on the course I marshaled 

[DrvFrShow]

Ball mark tools. Don't leave home without one. I have like a dozen of them. I carry a couple cheapies in my bag. I have a nice one I carry in my pocket. I usually fix my ball mark and one other. If one in my group doesn't have a repair tool I'll give them one of the cheapies. If they don't know how to repair a ball mark, I'll show them how. 

[GolfingJoey]

Love this post, not enough people know how to PROPERLY repair ball marks...

[dennyjones]

2 hours ago, GolfingJoey said:

Love this post, not enough people know how to PROPERLY repair ball marks...

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