[Jim Dawson]

I golf in Wisconsin and our greens are bentgrass, built to CA specs, I think, they have a base of 15" of clean fine sand. Our green are very fast and have lots of slope.

With all the architects and superintendents here, I would like to ask your advice as to what is the proper way to fix ball marks. I see our members doing some massive digging and I think that there must be a proper way to fix marks. I would like to start an education program this winter to help my fellow members fix marks the correct way, once I get them to fix marks in the first place.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
JD

[Tom Huckaby]

http://tinyurl.com/me3ow

You're welcome.

 

[Jason Blasberg]

Watch carefully on the PGA Tour and guys pop the centers up all the time, looks like they need a lesson on bringing the edges toward the center.  

[Kyle Harris]

...and not using golf as a verb.

Typical Badger...  

[Joshua Pettit]

http://www.gcsaa.org/Resources/facts/ballmarks.asp

[Greg Beaulieu]

Watch carefully on the PGA Tour and guys pop the centers up all the time, looks like they need a lesson on bringing the edges toward the center.  

Maybe they have had the same experience I did, namely, every time I try the recommended technique it never works right. I tear the edges of the grass around the mark, can't get the surface level, and generally make a hash of it. Whereas when I lift the center it seems quite easy to get it  smooth when I'm done. I must be missing something

[Steve Burrows]

It is not enough just to make the area smooth, because then you are left with a playing surface littered with brown spots.  So, more than simply making it smooth, the goal is to bring the compressed grass and/or the surrounding grass into the center, such that there is no soil exposed when you are done.  If it is done correctly, which usually means that it is done immediately following the damage, one shouldn't even be able to tell that all ball ever landed there in the first place.

[Greg Beaulieu]

It is not enough just to make the area smooth, because then you are left with a playing surface littered with brown spots.  So, more than simply making it smooth, the goal is to bring the compressed grass and/or the surrounding grass into the center, such that there is no soil exposed when you are done.

Yes, I understand that. The problem is doing it. It seems like trying to fill a gallon jug with a single quart. Once you take the compressed center out of the picture there isn't enough grass left to eliminate all the brown, and I end up with a lumpy mess to boot.

If it is done correctly, which usually means that it is done immediately following the damage, one shouldn't even be able to tell that all ball ever landed there in the first place.

I think I would need to carry a bunch of little round bentgrass sods to get that result.  

[Doug Ralston]

I was once told by a greenkeeper that I did a good job. I did not have the usual implement, so I used a tee. Push the grass from about 1/4 inch around the entire indent toward the middle. It was NOT completely smooth, but he said the point was that it would grow back quickly and not 'brown out'.

If you pick up the middle, whare the sand has been compacted, you leave an empty space, the the grass above will brown and die. Grass will expand fast where it can if there is proper soil underneath.

This, BTW, is all second-hand. I may not have a clue ........

[Mike McGuire]

Gary Player believes you should take the toe of your putter and tap the high spot back to the front. A lot of times you can make an invisible repair without raising any dirt.

I saw PB Dye repair a brown spot by taking a forked repair toll, sticking into the green and spinning it a few times. He would then remove the plug and then push the sides all the way around back to the middle.

But the best defense against unsightly ball marks is to keep the greens a lot firmer.  

[John Kirk]

I use my thumbs to push the turf back to where it was.  I don't understand why I don't see more people using this method.  It's pretty hard to break roots when you're just pushing the soil back where it was.

[Tim Copeland]

There are different lengths of tools available.  I was supt of a bentgrass course and found out this factoid when ordering for Pro shop "giveaways"

http://www.greensave.com/repairtools.htm

[Sean Leary]

Does bent grass get discolored easier than poa?  Our course has bent greens and ball marks turn brown even if fixed correctly. Everything else around the NW is poa, and this doesn't seem to be an issue on those greens.

[JR Potts]

I'm not sure of the correct procedure as there are now dozens of companies selling the "Best" ball mark repair equipment.  However, I can tell you that the good ole' tuning fork repair tool has worked the best for me.

[Greg Holland]

My club now uses the GreenFix Wizard system, www.greenfixgolf.com.  

I think our greens have improved through the program.  It uses a different tool with short tines, and you simply push the tool into the green on a 45 degree angle at 4 points or so around the ball mark, then tap it down with your putter.  

According to their literature, traditional repair tools, with the long tines and twisting, kill the roots so ball marks take 6 weeks to heal.  With the green wizard, it supposedly only takes one week.  As I said, our greens are differently better.  I think GolfWeek gave it a favorable review, and several top clubs use it.  

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