Ballmarks Not Repaired Cancel The title field is required!

1. David Ohren

   

   0 posts
   
   8/25/2011 8:08 AM

   Just looking to see if any of you have had any success gettting your players to fix ballmarks. Here for over twenty years I have never seen such disregard for such a simple task. We use a Standard Greenkeeper before we mow which helps a lot, however, this would not be so time consuming for our small staff if they would just follow simple etiquette. I would like to start a strong golfer education program but am getting very little support from GM and Pro Shop. They like to complain but when it comes to them having to help forget it. I want them to handout ballmark tools and tell patrons to remeber to fix ballmarks.
   
   David Ohren GC Supt. Willow Glen Golf Club

   
   
   
   
2. Michael Posey

   

   0 posts
   
   8/25/2011 8:08 AM

   http://www.greensave.com I have had as much luck as could be expected by working with this company. Print out their signs and put them above every urinal and on the back of every stall door in every bathroom. Buy their cart decals and put them in a prominent place and get a banner to hang for when you have outings. One thing that they suggest is charging outings a fee if you go out after a tournament and find that the event participants didn't fix their ball marks.

   
   
   
   
3. Homme David R

   
   8/25/2011 8:08 PM

   I think this is a case of the "corporate culture". Each course is different. I've played private courses where the players take ownership of the course and are therefore more active in helping with this task.
   
   I'm at a mostly public course, we have a small membership. Ballmarks are a definite issue.
   
   I think the best anyone can do is post reminders and hope for the best. If players feel a part of the place, want the best greens, and are respected by all the staff and ownership, I think they in turn treat the course with more respect. It really is a bigger issue than just the simple task of repairing the mark. JMO
   
   Dave Homme
   Falls Resort

   
   
   
   
4. Sean Hoolehan

   

   0 posts
   
   8/26/2011 8:08 AM

   We host a Pacific Northwest PGA section senior event every year (Oregon Senior Open). It has players from all ranges of clubs in the northwest playing 3 rounds, two with their PGA pro. The tournament is always full, this year we had something like 240 players. I took pictures of our par 3 tees with a sand bucket prominently next to the PGA markers. I presented the picture by saying "we had a poll on how many players use divot buckets, it was 236 no and 4 yes". It was also funny how many guys said they used they used the bucket.

   
   
   
   
5. Whitehead Kyle J

   
   8/26/2011 9:08 AM

   @ Sean.
   Great picture of that par 3. The last club i worked at was a very high end private club and still no one would use the buckets. We just ended up removing them completely and just filled the divots ourselves the next morning. It doesn't matter what kind of golfer they are (private club member of public player) golf etiquette has gone out the window.

   
   
   
   
6. Heath Puckett

   

   0 posts
   
   8/27/2011 3:08 PM

   Ditto on Greensave...we've put their decals on all our cart windshields.
   GCSAA also provides similar images you can download for free and laminate.
   I think the best educational tool is to put tees, irrigation flags, golf balls, whatever you like, in all unrepaired ballmarks, and take a picture to communicate the problem.....like this:
   http://cccpgcm.blogspot.com/search/label/Ballmarks
   
   Or, better yet, let them play through them(if you can get away with that)!
   
   David H. is right though, success dealing with this problem depends on your clientele. Good luck!

   
   
   
   
7. David Hebermehl

   

   0 posts
   
   8/29/2011 9:08 AM

   Anyone else notice if G6 bent greens don't recover as fast as some other grasses? Seems like it takes longer than usual for them to recover.

   
   
   
   
8. David Ohren

   

   0 posts
   
   8/29/2011 1:08 PM

   davhebrml said: Anyone else notice if G6 bent greens don't recover as fast as some other grasses? Seems like it takes longer than usual for them to recover.

   
   
   I have L-93 same issue slow recovery which makes it even harder to deal with A-holes who don't respect your course. We all know how much faster everything heals when it is repaired immediately.

   
   
   
   
9. David Hebermehl

   

   0 posts
   
   8/30/2011 7:08 AM

   thanks on the reply about the G6. I have one L93 and it's in a corner with no air flow. doesn't like it and once it gets hot, thins badly. much more than the G6.

   
   
   
   
10. Sharpe Duane

    
    9/15/2011 2:09 PM

    I have having a hell of a time with A-4 Greens as well. I keep them lean and firm with still not success. I think I need more fertility to increase healing time. I am not prepared to fertilize to fix ball marks though
    Worst year of recovery I have seen on my greens. More education is the key I believe!

    
    
    
    
11. Steven Huffstutler

    

    11 posts
    
    9/15/2011 3:09 PM

    Give up. Use it as an excuse to increase staff to fix divots and pitch marks.

    
    
    
    
12. Robert Crockett

    

    4 posts
    
    9/23/2011 9:09 AM

    Hoolehan said: We host a Pacific Northwest PGA section senior event every year (Oregon Senior Open). It has players from all ranges of clubs in the northwest playing 3 rounds, two with their PGA pro. The tournament is always full, this year we had something like 240 players. I took pictures of our par 3 tees with a sand bucket prominently next to the PGA markers. I presented the picture by saying "we had a poll on how many players use divot buckets, it was 236 no and 4 yes". It was also funny how many guys said they used they used the bucket.

    
    That IS why "Golfer's are the #1 PEST problem":) They turn into Paraplegics when they get into their carts. Like putting on a suit and thinking your someone important.....All Monkey's

    
    
    
    
13. McCallum David K

    
    9/23/2011 10:09 AM

    Ball marks are and always have been a big problem at our club.....semi private with some outside guest and greens fee play. The later category tends to be the ones that refuse to repair a ball mark or fill a divot. Our members are pretty good about filling divots and some groups go through quite a few bottles during a round filling not only their own but others as well. We fill divots every other day as part of our maintenance and both days on weekends.......just part of being in the business.

    
    
    
    
14. Emerson William J

    
    5/2/2012 11:05 AM

    Ball marks that tear the surface cannot be repaired. They need to be cored, filled and mended back to accelerate healing. Anything else is slow and simply flattens the mark. Go to www.greenfixsport.com to find a tool that can take the labor out for you.