Are you an avid golfer? Does it annoy you when someone else’s ball marks get in the way of your putts? Or how about divots on the fairway making it nearly impossible for your ball to reach its potential distance? For any golfer, these minor inconveniences can be extremely frustrating and cause stress and a poor performance on the course.
That being said, it is important that we all keep in mind the fact that everyone leaves ball marks and divots. It is only the others that are leaving them behind to mess up your shots. You, my friend, are leaving them behind as well, and other people may get just as frustrated as you.
While there are many good-doers who fix their ball marks and divots, many of them do not do so in the correct manner. While they are trying to do good, they may be doing just as much damage as the original ball mark or divot did in the first place, so it is important to learn exactly how to fix them so that you don’t end up making things worse.
Yes, it is true that there are professionals who are paid to fix these things. However, they cannot come around after every single stroke that every player takes. That being said, it is important to think of the other players that you could be affecting with your ball marks. Just as you would not be happy with someone who left them for you, try not to leave them for others.
Not sure what ball marks or divots are? Perhaps you are new to golfing and want to make sure you don’t leave these behind. What should you do about ball marks and divots? What is the best way to fix them so that others will see your example and continue on with the pattern? How can you fix ball marks and divots on the green? Let’s take a look at what ball marks and divots are in golfing, as well as how to fix them.
What are Ball Marks?
A ball mark is when a golf ball leaves depressions in the green. This small little depression can make a big difference when golfing, as it can make it extremely hard for others to hit the ball from that spot. The ball ends up falling in the depression without the golfer aiming for it.
Ball marks, when left unrepaired, can end up killing the grass which not only leaves the green looking bad, but also leaving a pit in the putting surface which can knock a well-struck ball off of its course. No golfer wants that to happen, do they? Of course not!
The average golfer leaves about 12 ball marks throughout a game of golf. Multiply that by an average of 160 rounds, the green will typically suffer around 1,920 ball marks a day! That is quite a lot of ball marks to repair when left to those who work at the green. So why not help them? Here’s a look at how to repair ball marks on the green. If everyone repairs at least some of their ball marks, there will be a lot less left for the employees to fix, and many golfers will have a better round because of it.
How to Properly Repair a Ball Mark
- Insert the prongs of your ball mark repair tool (you can pick this complimentary tool up before you play) into the turf at the edge of the depression. Make sure you do not insert the prongs in the depression itself, but around the edges.
- Using a “gentle twisting motion”, push the edge of the ball mark toward the center using your tool.
- Once you’ve done steps 1 and 2, smooth the surface with either your club or your foot. When you are satisfied and it looks like a surface you would putt over, you are finished.
Step 2 is the part that many golfer incorrectly “repair” the green. Make sure not to use the tool at an angle, putting the prongs beneath the center of the depression. This will only tear the roots and kill the grass.
What is a Divot?
The fairway is where you’ll find most of the divots. A divot is created from striking the ground when swinging for the ball. It tears up the ground and creates holes that are a nightmare for other golfers to swing on afterward.
On average, a typical golfer creates around 45 divots during a round of golf. That’s around 7,200 divots every day! Imagine how much time and effort it would take to repair all of those divots every day without the help of the golfers themselves. A long time! So how do you repair a divot? Well, let’s take a look.
How to properly repair a divot on the fairway
The best action to be taken (and the first) should be finding the chunk of grass you took out of the ground and replacing it where it goes. Once you have replaced it, you should place something over the divot and apply pressure with your shoe. This will secure it in place so that it doesn’t come up again easily. Be sure that the ground is level once you have replaced the grass and that there is no lump on the fairway. That wouldn’t help at all.
Also, most rental carts will be equipped with bottles of sand. These are to be used when you cannot locate the grass you took out of the ground. If you find yourself in this predicament, simply fill the divot with the sand provided and level it out.
Keeping the green in good condition is imperative to those who want to continue using it in the future. If golfers are mindless and continue to create ball marks and divots without repairing them, eventually the green will be ruined and no longer able to be played on. For the sake of other golfers and yourself, help out whenever possible. Your golf game counts on it.
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