Repairing the Golf Course: Divots, Bunkers and Ball Marks
Why course care is part of the game
Course care isn't just etiquette — it's an obligation that directly impacts everyone's playing experience. An unrepaired divot deteriorating the fairway, an unfixed ball mark on the green deflecting another player's putt, or an unraked bunker that buries the next player's ball — all are concrete consequences that affect others' results.
Some course care has direct regulatory backing. Rule 12.2b(3) establishes that a player who plays from a bunker must smooth over any disturbance after playing. Rule 13.1c(2) permits (and etiquette expects) players to repair damage on the putting green.
Divots in the fairway: replace or fill
When an iron or fairway wood tears a piece of turf from the ground (a divot), there are two options depending on the soil type and the course's instructions:
Replacing the divot
If the piece of turf is recoverable and the course instructs that it should be replaced, place it back in the hole and press it down with your foot. The grass can take root again if the divot is reasonably intact and the soil isn't too dry.
Filling with sand mix
Many courses provide a sand/seed mix in trolley pockets or buggy bottle holders. At these courses, the instruction is to fill the hole with the mix, not to replace the divot. This mix accelerates soil recovery and ensures a uniform surface.
Practical rule: if you don't know which system the course uses, ask in the pro shop or at the starter before heading out. If you have no information, replacing is always better than leaving the hole empty.
Ball marks on the green: how to repair them properly
A ball mark is the indentation left by a ball landing on the putting green from height. If left unrepaired, the grass takes days to recover and leaves an elevated scar that can deflect other players' putts.
How to repair a ball mark correctly:
- Insert the repair tool (pitchmark repairer) at the edge of the mark, not in the centre
- Push the grass inward from all angles without lifting the soil
- Flatten the area with the sole of your putter or your foot
- The correct result is a flat surface — if there's a bump, you've lifted the soil; try again by pushing inward
The most common mistake is inserting the tool in the centre of the mark and levering upward — this raises the soil instead of repairing it and makes the problem worse.
Since 2019 (Rule 13.1c(2)), you can repair not just your ball mark but also spike marks, footprint impressions, and other damage caused by any person. This was an important change from the previous Rules.
Bunkers: rake after playing
Rule 12.2b(3) establishes that after playing from a bunker, the player must smooth over any sand they disturbed. This is a regulatory obligation, though failing to do so doesn't carry a penalty (it is etiquette rather than a penalised breach).
Correct procedure:
- Collect the rake (usually at the bunker's edge)
- Rake the area where you played and any other area you stepped in
- Leave the rake at the edge of the bunker (some courses specify that it should be left inside the bunker, others outside — follow the course's instructions)
- If no rake is available, smooth with your foot
Why it matters: a ball landing on a badly positioned rake inside the bunker can end up in an unfair position and must be played from there. A well-raked bunker ensures every player faces the same conditions.
Buggy and trolley marks
Buggies and electric trolleys can leave marks on the rough and, if used near greens, on the most delicate areas of the course. Etiquette rules (and frequently the course's usage rules) say:
- Never take a buggy into the green surrounds area — stay at a safe distance (usually marked visually)
- In soft soil conditions, the course may impose mandatory buggy routes
- If your buggy leaves visible marks in the rough, don't ignore them — some courses ask that they be smoothed over
Searching for your ball: don't flatten the rough
When searching for your ball in the rough, walk in straight lines and avoid flattening large areas of long grass. Leaving flattened rough makes it harder to search for other players' balls on later holes and unnecessarily damages the course.
If you're searching and eventually find the ball, leave the rough as close to its original state as possible as you exit the search area.