The Ball Mark Repair

By Golf Superintendent Ben Larsen 

The heavy and frequent amount of rain this season has caused the greens to soften.  Whenever you have softened greens, you will end up with: more ball marks, that are easier to produce, and are larger in size.

Repairing ball marks is a key practice that aids in keeping the putting surface smooth and true for fellow golfers.  In fact, if a fresh ball mark is repaired within minutes, it will heal in 24 hours. Conversely, if a ball mark is delayed in repair or goes without, it may take 2-3 weeks for it to heal.

However, for those golfers who do repair their ball marks, but do it improperly, may cause more damage than leaving it unrepaired.  Below are the steps to properly repair a ball mark.

Begin by inserting the ball mark repair tool at a 45 degree angle and gently pulling towards the center of the ball mark.

Do NOT pry away from the center of the indentation, causing the turf to lift.

Then continue working around the ball mark, gently stretching the surrounding turf toward the center until the indentation is filled.  Less is generally more when it comes to ball mark repair, so this should be done just three or four times; anything more generally adds injury to the already damaged turf

Lastly, gently tamp the repaired ball mark with either your putter or foot. 

If there are any ball marks left without repair the next morning, the Grounds Department will be doing their part to help keep the greens smooth and true.  Pictured above is our new ball mark repair tool.  One simple push and the 4 teeth (located on the bottom) will simultaneously grab and pull the ball mark, leaving the surface smooth and true.

Each greens mower will be equipped with a repair tool, so all greens will be scouted for unrepaired ball marks.