Pitchmarks and divots…

Pitchmarks and divots… This always seems to come up in a conversation when I play with some members. Last week it was very evident that with all the visitors we’ve been having, that they do not put enough effort into repairing and REPLACING their divots.

I put extra emphasis on the word replacing. On our golf course we have rye grass and for that reason it is always better to replace your divot rather than to fill it with sand. Unlike kikuyu and cynodon (kweek), rye grass does not have any stolons and rhizomes. It is a bunch type grass that does not creep at all. The warm season grass species regenerate by the means of creepers above and underneath the soil. For that fact it is ideal to fill these divots with sand as it will creep over the scar and repair itself.

Annual rye grass does not have this characteristic, and the divot scar will stay bare when just filled in with sand. Rather walk a couple of steps to the piece of divot lying on the ground and put it back into the scar. This will recover within a couple of days without you even noticing it. Pitchmarks is also a big issue. Many people do not know how to repair them and sometimes leave more damage on the greens. Always try to close up a pitchmark so that you do not notice any sand anymore. This is easier when you work your pitchfork from the outside in rather that to push it down and lifting the pithmark upwards.
	Fix your Pitchmarks