Ball Mark Repair 101

Here's the official word from the Golf Course Superintendant's Association of America (GCSAA):

1) Use a pronged ball mark repair tool (preferably) or tee.


(Visit http://www.greenfixgolf.com or http://www.divix.com to see tools that WORK...)




2) Insert at the edges of the mark-not the middle of the depression.













3) Bring the edges together with a gentle twisting motion, but don't lift the center. Try not to tear the grass.

For more good information about the proper tools and technique, please visit http://www.greenfixgolf.com/








4) Smooth the surface with a club or foot. You're done when it's a surface that you would putt over.


(THEY said it, not me - Put the Golden Rule into action - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...)





If you're not a Greenskeeper yet, which one do YOU relate to:

Mike Purkey, Senior Editor of GOLF MAGAZINE, called golfers who don't fix ball marks a "Blight On The Landscape." Purkey states that Unrepaired Ball Marks are caused by "three classes of perpetrators":

• "The Ignorant - players who don't know how to repair a ball mark."
• "The Oblivious - players so engrossed in their own game, they forget that other people are involved."
• "The Entitled, players who say "I paid a lot of money to play here. Somebody else can fix the Ball Marks and replace the divots" (Rant on - I got news for you folks - unless your Mama's along for your round to fix your course damage, FIX IT YOURSELF! - Rant off)
  

No matter who is causing the 2500+ Ball Marks on our course each day, the results are that 18 putting greens are worse at the end of the day than they were in the beginning.

You, the golfer, are in the absolute best position, visually and physically, to know where your ball landed, and to be able to fix that spot easily so that the next golfer's putt doesn't encounter the obstacle YOU caused.

If 100% of the players took the 6-10 seconds to repair every Ball Mark, everyone's putting would get better, our scores would improve, and the greens would be healthier.

Let's get with the program, folks - please fix your ball marks, and repair your divots!

First post

This blog is one man's campaign to raise the consciousness of fellow golfers everywhere by educating, cajoling and encouraging them to repair their ball marks, and leave the putting surface as pristine as possible for other golfers.

Along the way, we'll discuss golf in general, developments in golf and join the ranks of passionate golfers everywhere that care about golf.

My goal is to increase the number of Greenskeepers* in the world.

*Greenskeeper is an archaic term, one that has been replaced in the professional vernacular with "Golf Course Superintendant".

In OUR world, Greenskeepers are (totally cool) golfers who repair their ball marks, plus one (or more) from the unthinking clod who left one (or more) behind, basically because "Claude" was too lazy, selfish, self-absorbed or too cool (or any combination thereof) to take the time to repair their damage to the putting surface.