We have started a new rule at the course we play: spike marks

[Jackal1966]

 

 

 

 

During the summer it isn't  too bad. The greens are watered and constantly growing, and getting mowed.

 All of the greens are dormant now.

Some of the older  guys are dragging  their feet and it is tearing up the greens.

When some bend down to get their ball out of  the hole, they twist and literally 'tear' and rip the green.

It looks like a werewolf has been moonwalking around.

We talked to others and they agreed.

We all repair and push  down  as many spike/ball marks when we get on the green.

When  we are done, we do the same.

 

Do any of you have the same problems at your  course?

[2turnswish]

I play on an old Mom and Pop course in West Texas and it's not the best or the best maintained, but we love it. It's hard for the owner to make much money. Not enough young people coming into the sport. So he hasn't got the cash to infuse into the course. Our biggest gripe here is so many do not repair ball marks on the greens. So the ones who are consciousness fix all they can. Hard to understand such disrespect. 

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Jackal1966 said:

We talked to others and they agreed.

We all repair and push  down  as many spike/ball marks when we get on the green.

When  we are done, we do the same.

Do any of you have the same problems at your  course?

@Jackal1966, where are you playing?  If your handicap season is over, there's no problem with doing this, and I understand why you'd make that choice, even though the rules currently don't allow you to improve your intended line by repair of spike marks..  But you shouldn't be posting these scores for handicap, at least not until the rules of golf change in 2019.

49 minutes ago, 2turnswish said:

I play on an old Mom and Pop course in West Texas and it's not the best or the best maintained, but we love it. It's hard for the owner to make much money. Not enough young people coming into the sport. So he hasn't got the cash to infuse into the course. Our biggest gripe here is so many do not repair ball marks on the greens. So the ones who are consciousness fix all they can. Hard to understand such disrespect. 

Welcome to TST!  Its important to remember the difference between ball marks (allowed to repair) and spike marks (not allowed).  And for both of you gentlemen, you might want to fill out your profiles a little more, and to add your location to the Member Map:

https://thesandtrap.com/membermap/

[Patch]

Fixing yours, and others' ball marks is a good habit to get into.  Our little group of "well seasoned" players do that. We even do what we can with the fairway divots. 

One of our home courses has a deal that one or two days a month, they don't charge for carts. Instead they load up the carts with extra sand/seed mix. In exchange for the cart fee, they ask the golfers to fill as many divots as possible. 

What ever helps with better course conditions, is always a good thing. 

1 hour ago, Jackal1966 said:

 

 

 

 

During the summer it isn't  too bad. The greens are watered and constantly growing, and getting mowed.

 All of the greens are dormant now.

Some of the older  guys are dragging  their feet and it is tearing up the greens.

When some bend down to get their ball out of  the hole, they twist and literally 'tear' and rip the green.

It looks like a werewolf has been moonwalking around.

We talked to others and they agreed.

We all repair and push  down  as many spike/ball marks when we get on the green.

When  we are done, we do the same.

 

Do any of you have the same problems at your  course?

I see these problems all the time. We fix them for the next guy when ever we can. 

One thing though is it's not just the old guys who rake the greens with their cleats. Golfers of all ages are quite capable of causing this type of damage. In fact alot of us old guys don't even wear shoes with spikes. Soft, or other wise. 

[Jackal1966]

20 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

@Jackal1966, where are you playing?  If your handicap season is over, there's no problem with doing this, and I understand why you'd make that choice, even though the rules currently don't allow you to improve your intended line by repair of spike marks..  But you shouldn't be posting these scores for handicap, at least not until the rules of golf change in 2019.

Welcome to TST!  Its important to remember the difference between ball marks (allowed to repair) and spike marks (not allowed).  And for both of you gentlemen, you might want to fill out your profiles a little more, and to add your location to the Member Map:

https://thesandtrap.com/membermap/

We don't  have an official USGA hcp.

It's  just for reference to pairing teams on local course tournaments. 

 This course is in Dyer Arkansas. It used to be a cow pasture.

The  original, and 2 newer owners have done a great job.

 They let  the high school  team  play for free.

 The other day they said these was considered a local winter rule.

 We also give a free do-over if you hit any electrical lines that run across local courses.

[2turnswish]

20 minutes ago, Patch said:

Fixing yours, and others' ball marks is a good habit to get into.  Our little group of "well seasoned" players do that. We even do what we can with the fairway divots. 

One of our home courses has a deal that one or two days a month, they don't charge for carts. Instead they load up the carts with extra sand/seed mix. In exchange for the cart fee, they ask the golfers to fill as many divots as possible. 

What ever helps with better course conditions, is always a good thing. 

I see these problems all the time. We fix them for the next guy when ever we can. 

One thing though is it's not just the old guys who rake the greens with their cleats. Golfers of all ages are quite capable of causing this type of damage. In fact alot of us old guys don't even wear shoes with spikes. Soft, or other wise. 

What a wonderful idea.

[Rulesman]

6 minutes ago, Jackal1966 said:

 We also give a free do-over if you hit any electrical lines that run across local courses.

That is an Authorised Local Rule in fact.

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, Jackal1966 said:

 The other day they said these was considered a local winter rule.

 We also give a free do-over if you hit any electrical lines that run across local courses.

Makes good sense, then, and I applaud your efforts to repair much more than your share.  The power line thing is pretty normal, I know we do the same at my home club.