Just saw the bit on the Mark Mender ball mark repair tool at the top of this sites opening page. Went to the website for the tool and it looks pretty good. Might be worth it to try one. Be nice if the local golf course would start to carry them, as they are supposed to help prevent damage to the greens from improper repairs made by using a standard tool the wrong way. Price is $35.00 for four tools direct from the dealer. That's a little much, but if you fix a lot of ball marks other than your own, the greens you play on might just better over time and improve your enjoyment playing the game. Worth thinking about at least, and if you have a regular foursome, that would equip your whole group.

The proper way to repair a ball mark has been a hot topic of discussion at my home course. I've asked our GM and 3 Assistants what the proper technique is and the answers are evently split. Two say to insert the tool around the outside of the mark and lift up. The other two say to insert the tool around the outside and push toward the center. For forty years I've used the first method. How 'bout y'all?

In an attempt to resolve our heated discussion I've emailed the Greens Section at usga.org. The Rules Section always responds within 48 hours - hopefully the Greens Section will as well.
JW

I almost forgot - the other part of our discussion involved whether or not to replace that part of the ball mark torn from the hole. One camp says to do so, the other say not to because it will not take root. Those of us in the first camp are exclusively from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. That may have some bearing since we habitually replace divots instead of using the sand/fertilizer mix. It took me almost 2 years to stop replacing them.

JW

JW,
I believe that you should insert the tool around the ball mark and lift up if it is simply dimple. If there is a divot taken out of the ball mark, you should press inward, to pull the grass and roots to fill the divot mark.
Out of habit, I also replaced divots for a long time. The first place I ever saw sand and seed used to fill divot marks was in Japan in the 70's.
Bill

Bill,

I use the same method. Here is the not-so-definite response I got from the USGA.

Hello John -

Great question and it does not surprise me that you receive different answers to your question on how to do it. The problem with this topic is that all ball marks are not the same! There are deep-pitted ball marks, shallow ball marks, and skids of various sorts. Then, for root zone media there are sands, sand/peat/organic, and soils of various types. Then there are surface profiles that are very firm or thatchy and soft, and everything in between. Then there are the different grasses (bentgrass, bermudagrass and Poa annua) and their various rooting habits. All of these variables can have a big effect on the damage done from a particular golf shot, and each of these situations requires a slightly different approach when fixing ball marks. All this by way of saying that there is no one correct way to fix all ball marks, and this makes it difficult to make a poster or otherwise describe how to fix ball marks. Having said that, there is a diagrammatic sketch of ball mark repair in the USGA Turf Management for Golf Courses book, and I know that GCSAA had a poster on this subject just a few years ago. You can order the Turf Management book from the USGA website and the poster from the Golf Course Superintendent Association - or you can ask your course superintendent to order this poster for you. Once again, any one method can work well on a particular type of ball mark, but not necessarily on other types. Many golfers learn by trial and error how to repair the different types of ball marks, and others don't!

Sorry for this convoluted reply, but I hope I've explained why the USGA doesn't advocate one method of ball mark repair, or one style or model of ball mark repair tools.

This is one of those problems that, if it were easy and straightforward to describe, everyone would already be doing it.

Best regards -

Patrick

Patrick O'Brien
USGA Green Section
Southeast Director
PO Box 95
Griffin, GA 30224-0095
770-229-8125 Office
770-229-5974 FAX
678-591-7340 Cell

JW,
I dealt with the USGA often. I had an acquaintence named P.J. Boatwright who was the exec. director. The answer you received was normal.
BTW; Don and Lynn arrived today and I met them for the first time. Don can hardly wait to hit the links.
Later,
Bill

I was always taught to insert the tool around the pit of the mark, and push toward the centre as doing the opposite actually tears the grass from its roots. Makes sense really, as then you are pushing the grass back from whence it came. My two cents!

Clive

After reading the reply from O'Brian of the USGA greens section, I think I'll stick with the ball mark repair tool I have and save my money, I must have at least ten of the darn things already.

I just returned from The PGA Merchandising show in Orlando. I worked in the Mark Mender booth and I can only tell you that I've never seen anything so well recieved by tournament directors and course superintendents. This tool does it right and unlike the pitch forks, there isn't a wrong way to use it. You have to try it to believe it, fix ten ball marks with it and you'll get it.

David

Hey Swingeasy,
Did you happen to get any samples at the show?
I would be happy to try it out and be a spokesperson for the product!! (I'm sure we all would!)