How to Fix a Ball Mark

Have you ever been involved in a heated debate about the best way to fix a ball mark?  I know I have!  In general, superintendents would prefer that golfers use any method as opposed to doing nothing, but there is a method endorsed by the golf community that is considered the official way. 

Here are some quick facts on ballmarks:

• Unfixed ball marks result in an uneven and scarred putting surface
• It is the responsibility of every golfer to fix at least their own ball mark
• It can take 2 or 3 weeks for an unfixed ball mark to heal
• Fixing ball marks vastly improves the putting surface for everyone

The best way to fix a ball mark

When I first started golfing in grade school, I assumed the best way to fix a ball mark was to use a tool to pry up the middle of the indentation.  This seems logical but it can result in torn roots and more recovery time.  The best way is the "twist" method endorsed by the Golf Course Superintendents Association (GCSAA). 

Here is the secret:  Your goal is to stretch the undamaged surface back into the depression, not to lift the depression by prying.  The putting surface is actually a fairly elastic thing.  Ball impact pushes the surface out to form the ridges around the depression, so you can fix it by stretching the surface back in.  In the process, the indentation or depression should flatten out.

Here is a graphic from the GCSAA.  Please click the image for a larger image:

I think many people are reluctant to try this method because it is difficult to visualize.  As a result, many golfers may not attempt to fix their ball marks because they are afraid of doing it the "wrong" way.  I am going to go out on a limb and say "If you have a method that works for you and results in a puttable surface, go for it!"  If you don't, try this method.  You may be suprised by how easy it is.

Sunrise at Sugar Creek

Cart Path Restrictions

After heavy rains, golf courses often have to restrict cart traffic.  There are generally two types of restrictions: no carts available or cart path only.  We do this to limit damage to the course and ensure playability for the season. 

The following is from the Golf Course Superintendents Association:

For the sake of your golf course, remember that golf car traffic can cause damage to the golf course that is both unsightly and expensive to repair. Tire ruts in soft, wet areas can take weeks to heal. Compaction caused by heavy traffic can ruin the playing surface. As a result, most courses have a standard golf car policy and sometimes employ temporary restrictions due to weather, construction or other factors.

Golf course superintendents only put restrictions such as "Paths Only" rules in place when they feel it's necessary to protect the turf from damage. (GCSAA Article)

After the heavy rains Thursday, we had to restrict carts to paths only for two days.  During that time, we had some golfers stray from the paths with visible results. 

The pictures below show why we occasionally have to restrict cart usage:

As a superintendent, I really dislike having to restrict cart usage to the paths but you can see why it is important.  Imagine if 10 people decided to go off the path instead of the 2 or 3 that probably did.  If the areas you can see in the pictures were driven over multiple times, these areas would be damaged for weeks or even months. 

To summarize, cart path restrictions are put in place by the people who really know the condition of the golf course and they are for every one's benefit.  Just like frost delays, no one likes them -- but they are necessary for the health of the course.

Update: May 15, 2010

After a relatively warm and dry April, the first half of May has been a little cool and wet.  Many golf courses flooded last Thursday, May 13th.  The average rainfall for May 1-13 is 1.5 inches and we have seen around 4.5 inches at Sugar Creek (WGN).  Areas north of us have seen even more. 

At Sugar Creek, we were fairly lucky.  The water rose on Thursday morning after the thunderstorms but receded by the end of the day.  With some modifications to our normal mowing schedule due to wet conditions, we were able to have the course in good shape on Friday for an outing. 

One of the mosts time consuming jobs after a thunderstorm is fixing sandtraps.  After a good downpour, the sand from the upper parts of the traps wash down and the traps are filled with water.  Drains in the sandtraps will remove the water eventually but not immediately.  To make the traps playable quickly, they need to be pumped, resculpted, and raked.

On Friday morning, our traps looked like this:

Or like this one that has already been pumped out:

Pumping, pushing up sand, and raking takes at least 2 people from 30 minutes to an hour per trap, depending on thier size.  It can take a couple days to restore the traps to thier usual state, or more like this:

Excessive rain also interupts our mowing schedule temporarily leading to some catch-up work when it dries out.  However, adjusting the mowing schedule is not nearly as time-consuming as sand trap restoration.

Frost Advisories

There is a frost advisory for this Sunday morning.  I was hoping we had already seen the last frost, but you never can tell.  I usually check National Weather Service Chicago at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/ for frost and severe weather information.

For information on golf and frost delays, check out Frost Delays on this blog.
Here is the advisory for Saturday night and Sunday morning:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A FROST
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM CDT /4 AM EDT/ TO 8 AM
CDT /9 AM EDT/ SUNDAY.

* TEMPERATURE...OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT WILL DROP TO NEAR 30 AT
SOME SPOTS FROM THE FOX VALLEY...WESTWARD ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS. OVER NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...LOWS WILL DROP INTO THE
LOWER 30S BY DAYBREAK...EXCEPT IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO WHERE
TEMPERATURES WILL HOLD UP AROUND 40. OVER NORTHWEST
INDIANA...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED UNTIL
LATE IN THE NIGHT...HELPING OVERNIGHT LOWS TO ONLY DROP TO THE
MID 30S.

* IMPACTS...WIDESPREAD FROST IS EXPECTED TO BE A DANGER TO
SENSITIVE VEGETATION ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND MUCH OF NORTHEAST
ILLINOIS. THE RISK TO VEGETATION WILL DECREASE HEADING EASTWARD
ACROSS NORTHWEST INDIANA WHERE OVERNIGHT LOWS AND WIND SPEEDS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE A BIT HIGHER...MAKING THE FROST MORE
SCATTERED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FROST ADVISORY MEANS THAT FROST WILL BE A THREAT TO SENSITIVE
OUTDOOR PLANTS LEFT UNPROTECTED.

Irrigation Repairs

One of the often overlooked responsibilities of a golf course superintendent is plumbing -- not residential plumbing, but high pressure irrigation plumbing.  Over the last two weeks, we fixed 3 leaks on the golf course and replaced our main 6" suction pipe in the pump house.  Click on the picture on the left to see more pictures from this project.