Why proper repair techniques keep greens and fairways playable—and why rushed fixes cost everyone strokes
You can tell a lot about a golfer by how they handle their ball mark.
It’s a small thing—easy to forget or blow past in the rhythm of the round. But when a perfectly struck iron lands soft on the green and leaves a crater, you’ve got two options: do it right or move on. And if you choose the latter, someone else is going to pay the price.
For those of us walking the back nine of life, we’ve seen enough to know that how you leave things matters. The course, your cart partner, your kid’s room—it’s all connected. We’re not chasing trophies anymore. We’re chasing good days. And nothing derails a good day like bouncing a birdie putt off a scarred, half-repaired pitch mark.
The Problem With “Good Enough”
Let’s talk truth: most of us think we’re fixing our ball marks right. But there’s a right way, and then there’s the way that leads to dead turf, scalped grass, and a surface that putts like a cornfield. Jamming the tool straight down and popping the center up? That’s a surefire way to kill the root system.
Instead, the pros (and good superintendents) will tell you:
- Use a proper divot tool or even a tee
- Work the edges inward toward the center, gently
- Tap it flat with your putter
Takes maybe 10 seconds. Which is probably less time than you spent lining up that 30-footer.
Divots Deserve Love Too
Fairways are another story. We all take our chunkers from time to time—especially after a long winter and a stiff back. If you’ve taken a divot, you’ve got one job: put it back, or fill it with sand and seed if your course provides mix bottles.
Too many of us figure, “Eh, someone else will handle it.” But here’s the deal: if that patch of turf doesn’t get properly replaced, it becomes a patch of mud, then hardpan. Multiply that by a hundred players on a Saturday morning, and suddenly the course starts to feel like it’s been through a bar fight.
What It Says About You
Fixing your marks and replacing your divots isn’t just etiquette—it’s character. It’s a sign you respect the game, the grounds crew, and the strangers playing behind you.
It’s not about being perfect. We all forget sometimes. But if you make a habit of doing your part—maybe fixing an extra mark or two while you wait your turn—you’re making the game better for everyone.
And who knows? That smooth 6-foot par save might roll true because someone else did the same for you.
So let’s stop rushing, start repairing properly, and leave the course a little better than we found it. Not because anyone’s watching, but because that’s what real golfers do.
– Kurt
MidLifeGolf.com
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