If you are new to golf, it can be overwhelming to try and remember everything that goes into the game. Nevertheless, proper etiquette is crucial to everyone’s enjoyment of both current and future rounds. This article focuses on course care etiquette, allowing you to enjoy your round while ensuring you leave the course in the same—or better—condition that you found it.
Repairing Ball Marks
A ball mark occurs after your ball drops onto the green and leaves a small indentation where it made contact. When this happens, it is your responsibility to repair the mark before leaving the green. A ball mark repair tool is ideal to use in this situation; however, other pointed objects, such as a tee, can also be used.
Begin at the back and sides of the mark by gently pushing and stretching the turf toward the center. Continue working around the mark while avoiding lifting or twisting the turf, as this can cause further damage. After you have moved the turf toward the center, use your putter to gently tap the area down to restore a smooth surface.
Repairing ball marks is important because leaving them unattended can cause long-term damage to the green. An unrepaired ball mark can take weeks to heal, leading to inaccurate lines and potential weed growth. Additionally, it is good practice to repair ball marks beyond your own, helping to maintain the overall health of the course.
Raking Bunkers
While the superintendent and maintenance teams work diligently to ensure bunkers are playable and presentable, it becomes the golfer’s responsibility to keep them this way once play is underway. Ultimately, your goal is to ensure the bunker is as smooth as possible. If you need to enter a bunker, always do so from the low side to minimize disruption to the area.
When raking a bunker, pay attention to how it appears before entering. Some courses use the “Aussie method,” which leaves the sides of the bunker smooth while the floor of the bunker is raked normally. If you encounter a bunker prepared this way, simply flip the rake over and use the smooth side to restore the perimeter of the bunker where you entered and exited. More commonly, courses will simply rake the entire bunker—sides and floor—normally with the teeth of the rake.
Ensure you rake all spots of the bunker you and your ball disrupted. As with ball marks, it is good practice to improve the condition of the entire bunker so that you can leave it better than you found it. Use the rake to smooth your footsteps as you exit but be sure you do not pull any sand onto the grass. If sand accumulates it can dry out the grass and make it difficult to define the bunker edge. Additionally, use your club to tap sand off your shoes to avoid tracking it onto the grass or green. Finally, return the rake to the course’s preferred location, paying attention to where you found it before entering the bunker.
Replacing Divots
If you are new to golf, it is important to understand that while divots are a normal part of the game, repairing them is essential to maintaining the health of the course. A divot typically occurs when you use an iron or wedge and take a chunk out of the ground during your shot. Before each round, ensure you have a full sand bottle with you, whether you are riding in a cart or walking.
Replacing divots is dependent on whether the divot remains intact. If the divot is intact with soil still attached, simply replace it in the correct spot and orientation and use your foot to press it firmly back into the ground. Adding this pressure is important because it helps restore contact between the turf roots and soil, contributing to the healing process.
If the divot does not have any soil attached or has broken into smaller pieces, you must use divot mix to fill the hole. The composition of divot mix is course dependent; some only use sand, while others include seed to help ground recovery. The proper way to fill a divot the same regardless of its composition: Add mix until it is just below the height of the adjacent turf, then press down with your foot and compress and smooth it out. A properly filled divot should leave the divot mix level with the base of the adjacent turf.
By taking care of the course through the three practices outlined above, you contribute to its overall health and help ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone who plays it.