A Friendly Reminder....

As the season as gone along this year, I have had quite a few of you ask me about proper divot replacement on the fairways and tees.  The best answer I can give you is that no matter the size of the divot you take, please take the time to replace it.  The bigger the divot, the better chance it has of recovery.  Even though the smaller divots may not heal properly, it is always a good practice to replace them to help keep the fairways looking clean.  Even though we supply divot mix on the tees, it is always best if possible to replace any divots you take from your tee shot as well, once again to help keep the areas clean.  Greg wrote an excellent blog post on this matter last year, which you can read here.

Proper ballmark repair, courtesy of GCSAA

Improper repair of a ballmark. 

Another item that I have received questions on is the proper way to repair a ballmark on the green.  Above is a handy pictorial from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America that shows the proper technique.  The key point in repairing pitchmarks is to NOT lift the mark up, but rather gently twist the sides in.  Lifting the mark up severs the turf and greatly reduces the chance that the ballmark will heal properly.  To the right shows an improperly repaired ballmark.  If repaired correctly, the scar will heal within 24 hours.  If not, the pitchmark will take up to 15 days to heal. 


Finally, the question of placing the bunker rakes is one that I get each year.  While there is no specific rule on their placement, at Elcona the rakes are left outside the bunker, with the rake head facing the direction of play.  This minimizes the chance of any rule scenarios impacting your round. 

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at the Maintenance Facility or at ryan@elconacc.com.  Have a great weekend!

Ryan