Repair your pitch marks

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By Alex

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  • 44 Replies
  1. Alex

    Alex

    Just wish more people would repair the greens. It doesn't take much time does it?

    I hate it cause it ruins the pure roll of the green so why do it?

    Buy a tool and use it!

    #TeamTitleist

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  2. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    I walk our front 9 in the evenings and usually repair around 5-10 marks on each green. The course is falling into disrepair and they are discounting green fees to get people on the course. That's bringing the "we don't give a s#%@" golfers who don't fix their ball marks, drive carts all over the place, dump their trash in the bushes, blast their radios, and generally give our sport a bad name. Sad but that's what $20 green fees with carts will get you.
  3. Rick D

    Rick D
    Weston, WI

    Dale V said:

    I walk our front 9 in the evenings and usually repair around 5-10 marks on each green. The course is falling into disrepair and they are discounting green fees to get people on the course. That's bringing the "we don't give a s#%@" golfers who don't fix their ball marks, drive carts all over the place, dump their trash in the bushes, blast their radios, and generally give our sport a bad name. Sad but that's what $20 green fees with carts will get you.

    Dale - It's not just the $20 green fee courses that have this issue. One surprise I had joining a private club was the number of ball marks on the greens and divots not replaced in the fairways. Let's face it, there are too many people of all walks of life who are either lazy, selfish or rude.
  4. Dr. Kovatchian

    Dr. Kovatchian
    Carlsbad

    Dale...you are Talking About Eagle Crest Right?
    I enjoyed that place many years ago...I'm afraid to return because of what I hear.
    There are too many golf courses here in Southern California looking to turn into track housing...really bums me out.

    Cheers,
    Dr, K
  5. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    Dr. Kovatchian said:

    Dale...you are Talking About Eagle Crest Right?
    I enjoyed that place many years ago...I'm afraid to return because of what I hear.
    There are too many golf courses here in Southern California looking to turn into track housing...really bums me out.

    Cheers,
    Dr, K

    Yep Doc, Eagle Crest Golf Course. I love the layout but she's in need of a real overhaul. She is about 25 years old and needs the entire sprinkler system replaced. Patching some and closing off others as they break is a bad practice. Only mowing the fairways and not taking care of the rough and the boundary areas. Bunkers are bad. Some were removed for easier maintenance but were in strategic spots and needed to be there. I hope some day she gets the TLC she deserves. Being just across the street from the first tee, my property value weighs heavily on her fate.
  6. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Dale V said:

    I walk our front 9 in the evenings and usually repair around 5-10 marks on each green. The course is falling into disrepair and they are discounting green fees to get people on the course. That's bringing the "we don't give a s#%@" golfers who don't fix their ball marks, drive carts all over the place, dump their trash in the bushes, blast their radios, and generally give our sport a bad name. Sad but that's what $20 green fees with carts will get you.

    Agree, pal. Well said. Our group has a saying during our round; repair yours and at least two others and we are the first groups out in the mornings. Another one of those four letter words, Dale. "LAZY". And I found that they do make those divot repair tools for left handed and right handed golfers. "One in the same for those idiots reading this". I am very good at repairing them and you will never know they were there.
  7. Alex

    Alex

    Dale V said:

    I walk our front 9 in the evenings and usually repair around 5-10 marks on each green. The course is falling into disrepair and they are discounting green fees to get people on the course. That's bringing the "we don't give a s#%@" golfers who don't fix their ball marks, drive carts all over the place, dump their trash in the bushes, blast their radios, and generally give our sport a bad name. Sad but that's what $20 green fees with carts will get you.

    Wish there was someone like you at every course! I just find it so frustrating as it ruins my landing zone and the game is already hard enough lol.

    Cheers for sharing Dale much appreciated.
  8. Guy W

    Guy W
    Statesville, NC

    Can't forget the cigarette butts all over the place. That one really gets me. Totally agree with the garbage. Especially the beer cans tossed in the woods.
  9. David H

    David H

    Every time I walk on the green I make it a rule to repair
    at least 2 ball marks besides my own. I want maintain
    pace of play, but also leave the green better than I found it.
  10. beaureed445

    beaureed445
    Edmond, OK

    David H said:

    Every time I walk on the green I make it a rule to repair
    at least 2 ball marks besides my own. I want maintain
    pace of play, but also leave the green better than I found it.

    I make this my goal as well. It's sad that people don't feel the need to pick up after themselves. I've seen it at public and private courses, so the "laziness" isn't centric to cheap public courses.
  11. TUser

    TUser

    Couldn't agree more Dale! I do the same. I find that the ones that don't fix are usually the ones that do the complaining about course conditions. It really pisses me off. I play the game as much for the beauty of the environment as I do the enjoyment of the game. Bend over and fix it!
  12. Jeff M

    Jeff M
    North Carolina

    I'm with Dale, I almost always repair at least a few marks on every green. I don't know what else we can really do besides fixing extra marks and educate as many golfers as we can about how to properly repair marks. Maybe the Tour or a few well known players could do a big marketing campaign about general course etiquette. We had bins of free divot tools at the club I used to work at and still no one fixed them, and that was a private, member-owned club. It was a bit better when they replaced the soft Bentgrass greens with much firmer Bermuda surfaces, but still an uphill battle trying to get the players to do the right thing.

    I always carry a couple extra divot tools in my bag for when I get paired up with randoms at the local muni, if they don't have one or don't know how to fix marks, I teach them and give them the tool to keep.
  13. Jim S

    Jim S
    East Point, GA

    I agree with Dale V, why cant people leave things the way they find them. It does not take long to repair the ball mark.
  14. Roger K

    Roger K

    Saw this once on the first tee box of a local Par 3, starter was handing out ball repair tools and teaching each group how to use them. Happy to say I didn't see a single mark on all 9 greens. Only saw it once, worked like a charm. I assume the plastic tool is cheaper than green maintenance of an unrepaired mark...but I could be wrong.
  15. Dave N

    Dave N
    Dade City, FL

    It's now an "all about me " society. No one cares about anybody or anything but themselves and it does suck for the rest of us.
  16. Joshua B

    Joshua B
    Connecticut

    I agree. My father always taught me to repair mine and one more...solid life advice. Honestly, now I do it just to look and feel like a pro golfer, being so excited I actually mustered up a golf shot and hit a green!
  17. Steve S

    Steve S
    Tuckerton, NJ

    Couldn't agree more Dale V. I'm at a county owned muni. 30 bucks with a cart, all summer. The weekenders really don't care. They play and go back home, vacation over. We're stuck there the rest of the year trying to fix it back up. That's just the way it is. I don't like it, don't condone it, just the way it is. If you speak up, they look at you like you're wrong. I'll just keep doing what your doing. Cleaning up their mess.
    Play Well,
    Steve S.
  18. Andrew F

    Andrew F
    Pueblo, CO

    Military
    It seems to me it gets worse at the end of the year. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you don’t need to fix your marks.
  19. Dwayne N

    Dwayne N
    Island, KY

    I play a semi private but you better not get caught not repairing ball marks. We have a long time member that will get in your grill in a heart beat. But then again can't blame him we spend a lot of money keeping the course in top shape and when someone doesn't fix something that takes 4-5 seconds with no associated cost why not fix it.
  20. Todd T

    Todd T
    San Diego, CA

    Military
    Just pure trifling and laziness.. Be glad ya hit the green and fix your mark!
  21. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military
    Might be time to look for another club Dale. I stopped playing at my local County Club for 10 years until a new manager took over and finally set thing on the right path. It was a total mess. I played there occasionally with friends this season and it has improved alot but I prefer to drive 40 minutes to a top notch 6 course facility.
  22. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    Deno said:

    Might be time to look for another club Dale. I stopped playing at my local County Club for 10 years until a new manager took over and finally set thing on the right path. It was a total mess. I played there occasionally with friends this season and it has improved alot but I prefer to drive 40 minutes to a top notch 6 course facility.

    Unless I move, I will have to make the most of it. My house is across the street from the first tee.
  23. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military
    I see your point Dale. That is really convenient. Maybe signage or reminders on the flagsticks?

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  24. David S

    David S
    Laguna Niguel, CA

    I was watching the end of the last round of The Masters with my girlfriend this year when she saw one of the players bend over to fix a ball mark. Not being a golfer, she said it looked like he was defacing the green. I explained probably more than she ever wanted to know about ball marks (though in her defense, she has a deep intellectual curiosity, so she really wanted to know), to which she replied "Wow, i thought their caddies did everything for them except hit the ball."

    If Tour pros can fix their ball marks, then every other golfer can too. I'm with you on this guys.
  25. SSmart

    SSmart

    I play nothing but muni's and park courses and it's a problem. Repairing a ball mark should be a badge to be worn with pride. Showing the other golfers that you can hit greens.
    Don't get me started on slow play. I don't play as much as I want due to this. I've had too many 5-6 hour 18 hole rounds and have walked off too many golf courses due to slow play. If there was a local course that monitored slow play and guaranteed a three hour round, I'd play no where else!
  26. Jerry M

    Jerry M
    Dallas, TX

    This topic really hits my hot button.

    I usually repair at least 3-5 ball marks on the green. I also tamp down several ball divots that are in front of the green as well.

    I think we are all in agreement on this. THERE HAS GOT TO BE A SOLUTION TO THIS! Good thing I'm not a marshal or I would rail on some of these players who hit the green and don't repair their ball marks!

    Does any body have a solution/suggestion to solving this problem?

    Dwayne, kudos to your long standing member.

    My motto; "Leave a place better than you found it."
  27. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    Jerry M said:

    This topic really hits my hot button.

    I usually repair at least 3-5 ball marks on the green. I also tamp down several ball divots that are in front of the green as well.

    I think we are all in agreement on this. THERE HAS GOT TO BE A SOLUTION TO THIS! Good thing I'm not a marshal or I would rail on some of these players who hit the green and don't repair their ball marks!

    Does any body have a solution/suggestion to solving this problem?

    Dwayne, kudos to your long standing member.

    My motto; "Leave a place better than you found it."

    Suggestion?... Huummm. Maybe we ask the guy (or gal) that is spitting sunflower seeds and pistachio nut shells on our greens to fix all the ball marks. Oh well, I'm off work tomorrow so i think i'll play some golf and fix as many as I can. I'll be happy to do it, given that we have golf here year round and some of you can't play until spring. Happy New Year!
  28. Rob E

    Rob E
    San Jose, CA

    At least you have a good attitude about it Dale. Maybe you were destined to fix all the pitch marks in greens. I am always amazed by how many people there are that complain about pitch marks yet there always seems to be a shortage of the people that will fix them. I don’t mind fixing the ones I see. I do have another complaint though. People that don’t fix them properly and make the pitch mark worse by their method. Maybe the education courses need to post is “how to fix a pitch mark”.
  29. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    Don't get me wrong - I fix any and all ball marks as pace of play allows. More than just mine.
    My understanding the primary purpose is for the following groups to have a smooth surface to roll. A soft green where the turf tears will still need to regenerate, fixing the mark won't save the spot. I agree that muni's tend to have more unresolved marks. The eventual problem is the greens haven't been updated in 10-20 years and the irrigation and grass selection are not optimal for the area. $20-30 rounds don't generate enough revenue to rebuild/replant greens and adjust the fairways and rough to best utilize newer turf management trends and available water resources. They also generate more rounds that stress the course more, so those prices are just the beginning of a death spiral. We've lost 2 courses this year and there are easily 4-6 more courses that are hanging on or there are already threats from developers to replace them with housing. My experience is a golf round average greens fee is the same or lower than 10 years ago. With even low inflation, maintenance is going to suffer.
  30. Rooster

    Rooster
    West Wareham, MA

    Military
    Being a member of a public course. You see it all. From trash thrown, to ball marks, divots, and the abuse of using a golf cart through the woods and unto green aprons. When you mention it to the offending golfer. They most likely become aggressive because you called them out. Being a recently retired Police Officer of 31 yrs I usually back them down rather quickly. I explain that we all have a vested interest in having a nice conditioned course. This makes for a better day for all of us.
  31. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    An on going issue and there's not much you can do.. I've given up on saying anything to anyone. i'll just keep my mouth shut and fix the divots myself. Rather have it done right then someone doing it quickly and sloppy. So if someone sees me on the green roaming around, yeah i'm not reading my putt i'm fixing divots to keep my home course in good shape..

    But yeah it comes to people just being lazy and not giving a........

  32. Jerry M

    Jerry M
    Dallas, TX

    This has got me thinking about another question. Just how to you properly repair ball marks?

    I had a former superintendent, who is now a well known golf architect, say you should push in to the mark instead of insert your divot tool and pull up. Pulling up tears the roots and the grass will die.

    Any thoughts on this?
  33. Roger K

    Roger K

    How to repair a bark mark: m.youtube.com/watch

    Push in towards the mark, not away. Not intuitive, but this is what the agronomist say.
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