Fixing a Ball Mark

[warbirdlover]

I think we all make a good attempt at fixing ball marks on the green but is there a really "proper" way to do it? Maybe a video or link to visit?

[Andy_79]

Many at our club fail to bother repairing a pitchmark. Very little pisses me off than seeing a big, deep plughole sitting as clear as day for all to see, including the person responsible for making such a mess. It ain't quite as bad at this moment of time on the course, but I vividly remember having to repair dozens of the things coming into the beginning of our summer. It just ain't on !! The thing is, I have had Council Members playing in front of me, and still the pitchmarks remain there for all to see.

Anyhow, on parkland greens you need to work the pitchfork around the outside of the crator, yet on Links courses such as mine, a couple of flicks with the fork and a tap down or two with the putter blade seems to work alright.

Remember, folks; repair one plus yer own and we'll be right as rain...

[Pa Jayhawk]

http://golf.about.com/cs/tipslessons...irballmark.htm

Nice topic WBL

Here's a graphic
http://www.gcsaa.org/news/downloads/divot.asp
http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline...485976,00.html

[warbirdlover]

Jayhawk,

Exactly what I was hoping someone would put up. Thanks.

I spent a lot of time this weekend fixing others ball marks and thought this would maybe help. I think they don't fix them because they're not sure how to.

[smitty]

This area is one of my serious pet peeves, and I have almost started a thread on this several times. At my club, a nice private club in a fairly well-to-do community in Orange County, CA, I would estimate that I fix an average of 6 to 8 noticable ball marks on every green, and half are craters with the "tongue" of the ball mark sticking up. Can anyone explain what goes on in the minds of people who don't fix their ball marks? Please choose from one of the following:

a) They don't know that it is proper etiquette. (This seems unlikely at a private club populated by many serious golfers.)

b) The cannot see or cannot find their ballmarks. (Again, this seems unlikely. Most are readily observable, and the majority are within 10 to 25 feet of the cup.)

c) They are just lazy buttheads, who just don't give a hoot about anybody but themselves, an attitude that will eventually lead to the decline of Western civilizaiton. (This is my pick.)

D) Other. (I really can't figure out what these people are thinking. I really don't think it's because people don't know how to fix them. Again, many of our members are experienced golfers, and the club routinely puts out information on how to fix marks.)

My second beef is the quality of ball mark repairs. When I fix a ball mark, you can barely tell there was one there. I see many repairs, however, that look just horrible, and a day later they leave big spots in the green the size of the ball. I suspect that this is not a function of people who care but do not know how to repair, but rather a subset of the buttheads, who repair their marks (either because someone's watching or they know they should do something), but just don't care enough to make any real effort to do it right.

Thanks for the opportunity to rant, but I only feel a little bit better.

[CybrSlicr]

I have learned something here. I try to fix my ball marks (the few times I make them) but it looks like I don't do it correctly. I usually pop up the middle and edges and then flatten with the putter. I will have to remember the correct way to do it from now on.

((None of the courses I play on have any kind of sign, sheet or anything explaining how to fix one (none that I have seen). I also never see repair tools in the clubhouses either. You would think it would be prudent to provide the cheap ones for all golfers to encourage repairing them))

[smitty]

Originally Posted by CybrSlicr

((None of the courses I play on have any kind of sign, sheet or anything explaining how to fix one (none that I have seen). I also never see repair tools in the clubhouses either. You would think it would be prudent to provide the cheap ones for all golfers to encourage repairing them))

I agree. Clubs can order a huge quantity of the cheap divot repairers at very low cost.

[Bravo]

This is a fine thread and a great subject to discuss...

I'd like to address Smitty's rant...I am a member at a nice club too and we had a really bad problem with it for a long time until the past 2-3 years and now the problem is markedly better.

The reason: many of the old farts have died.

Our place had so many really really old golfers for so long. I would play behind them and they could hardly bend down. They would have one of those suction cups on the end of their putters to get the ball out of the hole...so for somebody like this, bending down for 15 seconds to fix a pitchmark is never going to happen...

We knew this was going to happen and as these members have departed, the care of the greens (and fairways) by members has improved remarkably as new, younger(middle-aged) members have replaced them. I can remember fixing 7-8 marks on a green several times per round, but now it is unusual for me to fix one other than my own...

Also our course superintendent has located sand/seed mixtures in plastic bottles all over the course and in every cart/buggy. So when I am riding, I get in the habit of filling my divot after hitting. While waiting for others to hit, I will also do a little 'housekeeping' and fill 4-5 divots in the area of my ball to pass the time. The super also keeps about 15 bottles of this mixture on the par 3 tees and slowly members have gotten better about pouring a bit into their divots after hitting their tee shots.

We even have one dogleg right par 4 where the fairway tends to remain a bit soggy at the crook in the dogleg. Carts/buggies are Never allowed on this fairway at any time. Recently the super put the sand/seed bottles next to the cart path where players depart to walk out onto the fairway and I see members walking out to their shot with a club and a bottle to fill the divot. In our hot summer weather, with decent rainfall, these will fill with grass in only about 3 weeks.

So I think some of it has to do with the age of the average player and how much they care about helping maintain their course...

[Slicemaster]

Hi Guys I'm new to the forum as well as the game. I'm loving both! Great info on here. I just wanted to add my 2 cents on this topic. Found this on the Odessey website. Pretty informative videos.
http://www.odysseygolf.com/en.PUTTING.PUTTINGTIPS.html
Shows how to properlly repair a ball mark & more.. Cheers!

[CybrSlicr]

Originally Posted by Slicemaster

Hi Guys I'm new to the forum as well as the game. I'm loving both! Great info on here. I just wanted to add my 2 cents on this topic. Found this on the Odessey website. Pretty informative videos.
http://www.odysseygolf.com/en.PUTTING.PUTTINGTIPS.html
Shows how to properlly repair a ball mark & more.. Cheers!

Excellent! Now I know how to repair them...

[smitty]

Originally Posted by Bravo

This is a fine thread and a great subject to discuss...

I'd like to address Smitty's rant...I am a member at a nice club too and we had a really bad problem with it for a long time until the past 2-3 years and now the problem is markedly better.

The reason: many of the old farts have died.

We really don't have many real old players at our club. I think a lot of it has to do with people who are too well off for their own good, are basically spoiled, only think about themselves, and think others should pick up after them.