Sand Bags

[Jay Mickle]

I seem to recall that in Ireland last year some courses provided small bags to walking golfers filled with enough dry sand to repair a divot or two. I believe that bags were refillable between holes.  As a conscientious walker who carries I would like to be able to repair the course when I take a divot.
Have I dreamed this or is there in fact a model that actually exists?

[Sean_A]

I seem to recall that in Ireland last year some courses provided small bags to walking golfers filled with enough dry sand to repair a divot or two. I believe that bags were refillable between holes.  As a conscientious walker who carries I would like to be able to repair the course when I take a divot.
Have I dreamed this or is there in fact a model that actually exists?

Jay


Yes, the sand bag deal is at many places in the winter.  Its a real pain in the ass when carrying a bag!  If possible when I am carrying, I don't do the sand thing.  If I do, I dump the sand on spots on the 1st hole and am done with the bag.


Ciao

[Pete Lavallee]

The golf courses in the Capetown region of South Africa mandate you carry the small canvas pouch with sand for divot repair. The will either sell or rent one to you. Simple, yet effective. Many push carts sell a tube which hangs on the cart but usually it is an upgrade item. Capilano had the tubes with a clip on them for those who walk and carry. The pouch is much easier to carry, the tubes are more efficient at filling divots. I'm surprised more courses don't mandate them.

[Jay Mickle]

Are these bags refillable between holes?

[Carl Rogers]

Jay, you may have hit upon the downside of walking.  How to replace divots.

[Tom_Doak]

In Australia it is common [almost mandatory] to carry a little bucket of sand on your trolley to fix divots.  I have never sorted out what I'm supposed to do when I'm carrying my own bag, though.

[Jay Mickle]

I see no downside to walking. As a result of not being able to fill divots on the course I take time on the Tee Box to fill divots that others have left. I also often take the divot sand container from a playing partners cart and fill divots as I walk down the course.
The downside of golf is seeing the lack of respect that so many players have for the course they are playing on whether it be the failure to fill in divots or the failure to rake bunkers or the failure to repair ball marks on greens.

[Blake Conant]

The best solution I've seen is at Sand Hills.  They use a small canister about the size of a tube of grease that clips onto your carry bag.  Refills available in the middle of the 9s and at the porch. Not intrusive and easily accessible.

[Brian Finn]

These narrow, light tubes have a clip that makes it easy to attach to a carry bag.  I've seen them used at a number of courses, and I think they are a nice solution.  I own a couple myself, but admit I often forget them.

[Tim Martin]

These narrow, light tubes have a clip that makes it easy to attach to a carry bag.  I've seen them used at a number of courses, and I think they are a nice solution.  I own a couple myself, but admit I often forget them.

You own a couple yourself? I don't want to ask the obvious question but why would you need more than one? Costco bulk purchase?

[BCrosby]

Walkers are asked to carry those tubes on our course. You clip them on your bag. You get refills a various points on the course. They work well.


Bob

[Sean_A]

I am amazed that clubs wouldn't provide free containers to be used while at the club and then given back.  I have never seen the tubes, just the tie bags which are far too heavy swinging on the bag when its on your back. 


Same for pitch repair tools...clubs should give them out free to encourage their use. Its dead easy to tag on $.50 to the green fee for both of these items. 

Ciao

[Tim Martin]

Any club I have been to that uses any variation of the item being discussed has provided them willingly and gratis.

[Brian Finn]

These narrow, light tubes have a clip that makes it easy to attach to a carry bag.  I've seen them used at a number of courses, and I think they are a nice solution.  I own a couple myself, but admit I often forget them.

You own a couple yourself? I don't want to ask the obvious question but why would you need more than one? Costco bulk purchase?

I used to belong to a place where they asked everyone to use these, and over a few years, took 2 or 3 home in the trunk by mistake.  Never purchased them, but they are nice to have.

[Padraig Dooley]

For walkers a Gatorade size bottle that fits in the beverage pocket on your carry bag seems to be the best substitute for the sand bags.

Easy to fill, easy to carry and easy to fill divots.

Using sand bags while carrying is difficult.

[Greg Gilson]

Padraig just beat me to it. This is the approach adopted by me & most other walker/carryers that I know. The wider mouthed the bottle the best for refilling!


As Tom Doak noted above , this is pretty much mandatory at all courses in Australia. I am sure there are exceptions but I cannot recall any off the top of my head.


Sean, if you adopted your professed strategy above you would receive a letter (if a member) or embarrass your host (if a guest). When in Rome....

[Kevin_Reilly]

We use Gatorade type bottles at Orinda and have stations around the course for fillups.  We had those "tubes" pictured above, but they weren't popular because they were too long...they'd interfere with the stand mechanism on bags.

[JJShanley]

I've used the tubes before as a walker with the same problem that Kevin Reilly identified.


The Gatorade bottle seems promising.

[Ian Andrew]

Tube is great for a sleeve style carry bag like I have
Normal bottle works well with stand bag
Gatorade works fine ... easiest to use ... goes in side pocket


We do a hole a day with bottles - everyone can survive a single hole carrying a bottle ...

[Sean_A]

Sean, if you adopted your professed strategy above you would receive a letter (if a member) or embarrass your host (if a guest). When in Rome....

Greg

As I said, I have never seen a proper way to conduct this job.  What I was asked to do was unreasonable.  Little or no thought was given to the guy with a bag on his back who plays with far fewer clubs than allowd because of weight.  Sounds like they are starting to sort this out. 

Ciao

[Joe Hancock]

How did they ever play proper golf before it became mandatory to fill divots with sand? Were golfers actually expected to hit a shot from  a lie in which they might encounter their ball resting in a divot? Gasp....

[Sean_A]

Joe


Yet these same people don't think to push their ball to the wings in winter and prevent taking that divot in the first place.  Maybe I am not such a bad guy afterall 


Ciao

[Ronald Montesano]

Obvs. You carry your bag and pull an empty trolley, loaded with sand for the round. Sheez, some guys...

Happy Thanksgiving.

In Australia it is common [almost mandatory] to carry a little bucket of sand on your trolley to fix divots.  I have never sorted out what I'm supposed to do when I'm carrying my own bag, though.

[Ronald Montesano]

Private Clubs: line up all the junior-age children of members one night a week and say "we're going to these two holes, to the drive zone, and we're going to play with sand." Every two months, you get some coverage. If you have enough kids, make it three. For high-end clubs, you have a ground crew that you pay super well, so ignore.


Public courses: find the junior golfers that frequent your course and say "hey, for every week that you come out on Thursday evening, we will give you a free chit for golf. If you cover 2 holes, we will give you a 9-hole chit. If you cover 4 holes, we will give you an 18-hole chit."


In both cases, you could also assign the kids to putting greens on the course and, as soon as they clear and no one is hitting in, the kids swarm the green (gently, in sneakers, no running) and fix all the ball marks. If you have enough carts/gators, you can get the kids around the golf course promptly.

[Matt MacIver]

Two local schools use our course for practice and tourneys and are supposed to carry sand bottles, with the goal being of emptying a few full bottles each nine.  Suspect it doesn't happen routinely though. 


I'll usually carry a bottle and when I take my first fairway divot - which could take until the fifth hole - i empty my bottle walking up that fairway and be done. If I remember to grab one at the 10th I'll repeat.