Repairing Divots
If you play golf, you create divots — it’s part of the game. However,
if you create divots, you should also repair them — that’s part of the etiquette of the
game. Repairing your divots ensures that the golfers who follow you have the same level
playing surface you had when you started your round.
A number of different methods are used to repair divots, and each of
them is designed to make sure that the type of grass growing around the divot fills in as
quickly as possible.
Some courses ask that you simply replace your divot. In this case, you
should replace it in the same direction that it came out and firmly tamp it down.
On courses whose tees and fairways feature actively growing
Bermuda grass, you will often be asked not to replace the divot, but rather to fill the
hole with sand the golf course provides. In this situation, fill the divot and then tamp down
the sand so it is level with the surrounding area.
At some golf courses in the North that feature ryegrass and in the South
where dormant Bermuda grasses are overseeded, you may be asked to fill the divot with a
sand/seed mixture. Again, it is important to tamp the sand down so the seed will
germinate.
Be sure to ask about the local procedure when you are playing at a newcourse.
Information Supplied by Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Ah the good old etiquette of golf.
You are spot on with this and may I add the raking of bunkers too, its a pity the folk who play some of the public golf courses in New York (and other golf courses around the world) don’t heed this advice and do what you ask. To many times I’ve played these courses in New York and each time you see people take a chunk and just carry on with-out a thought for those behind or what they are doing. I don’t know how many times I replaced other golfers divots. Come on people its not hard to do!!
Its the same for raking a bunker too, 30 seconds of your time and the bunker is back to normal. Or maybe thats why people don’t do it, they see an un-raked bunker and leave it as they found it. If that’s the case at least rake your mess and have a little pride in knowing you follow the rules of golf etiquette.
Comment by Peter Black — June 16, 2007 @ 9:08 pm