I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was...

HawkeyeMS

HawkeyeMS

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I went down to the club last night to try to exercise the daemons of my recent rounds. I knew there was work going on on the greens and that some of them would be on temps but I wasn't bothered about that as I was more worried about my ball striking.

I started on the back nine where all the greens were mid treatment (slitting, sanding and seeding) so out of play but when I got the the front nine some of the greens were back in play and what I saw amazed me - unrepaired pitch marks everywhere. I know repairing pitch marks is a problem and it frustrates the hell out of me but our greens have received a lot of criticism over the last year so I would have thought, as I would exect any resonable person would, that if you see the groundstaff out working on them, that you could find it in yourself not to leave dirty great pitch marks in them? I didn't bother putting on the greens as I didn't see what benefit I would get it with them being so fresh from their treatment but instead spent a minute or two repairing pitchmarks.

I don't understand why people don't repair pitchmarks anyway but if you see someone trying to improve your course, wouldn't you be encouraged to do your bit? It only takes a few seconds after all.

:sbox:
 
Sadly, "most" members feel that as they are paying the greenstaffs wages, then the greenstaff should repair pitch marks.
Basically they are ignorant *******s and don't deserve a decent course to play on.
 
I blame a lot (but not all) of pitchmarks on trolleys.
People hit the green with their approach shot making a pitchmark on the front part of the green. They then wheel their trolley to the back left/right of the green heading for the next tee then walk to their ball and putt out. They never go near their PM
Golfers who carry will walk up the green pausing to repair their PM on the way to their ball. Repair it and carry on up the green to mark their ball
 
bobmac said:
I blame a lot (but not all) of pitchmarks on trolleys.
People hit the green with their approach shot making a pitchmark on the front part of the green. They then wheel their trolley to the back left/right of the green heading for the next tee then walk to their ball and putt out. They never go near their PM
Golfers who carry will walk up the green pausing to repair their PM on the way to their ball. Repair it and carry on up the green to mark their ball
Click to expand...

I've seen Carryers walk to the side as well Bob - I know you're not genaralising but all kinds are to blame and probably in equal measures.

It's, along with general ettiquette, something that could be covered by Crawford's Golfer's Card....

Education is the only remedy.
 
What does my head in is when you see a PM a foot from the hole and it's not fresh...it's been there a while.
How many people have putted out and NOT repaired it.
 
I get a kick out of repairing my own pitch mark, it means that I have managed to hit the green.

i also use a trolley and will park on the edge towards the next hole, First thing to do is find and fix the pitch mark, have a look, how far away from the pin did it hit, did it backspin or kick on or hit n sit etc.

Then you look at your next shot, its part of my routine.

I also will repair other pitch marks that I see and this is another reason to carry that 12 bore that I mentioned in a previous thread, to shoot the gits that dont repair their own.

I like making pitch marks :)

Fragger
 
I think a lot of the problems arise from people who may well hit the green on the fly, but because they are banging in a 4 iron/hybrid/fairway wood, they then bounce out through the green. In their attempts to find and play their next shot, they completely forget that they hit the green and forget to repair.
Normally, the damage caused to the green by an exocet 3 wood coming in is worse than the damage caused by a 9 iron or a wedge dropping in from high. The pitchmark is usually a lot longer in length and more difficult to repair, so they get halfway through repairing it (incorrectly) and give up.
 
One of my old clubs had a good system where members were allocated a green by alphabetical name.
As well as repairing their own pitch mark they were responsible for the whole green.
eg. A&B....1st green, V-Z..... 18th green.

It worked very well.
 
Doon frae Troon said:
One of my old clubs had a good system where members were allocated a green by alphabetical name.
As well as repairing their own pitch mark they were responsible for the whole green.
eg. A&B....1st green, V-Z..... 18th green.

It worked very well.
Click to expand...

I'm ok then
My real name is 在尊嚴及權利上一律平等

:whistle:
 
We have a few days a year at our place where volunteers walk the course repairing divots, PMs, generally tidying up to help the green staff out.

Its not much but its a nice gesture and there is mutual respect between members and staff.

I'm not making excuses for people but if the greens are in good nick it may be self perpetuating and people are more inclined to keep them that way. Conversely if they are poor then they may just think why should I bother?

I think its deplorable that people do not take a few seconds to repair a PM, I often repair someone elses as well.
 
I just can't understand it either.

In these conditions people should realise that pitchmarks are going to happen and are likely to be pretty deep ones. The ball probably won't end up that far away so no excuse to not look for, find and repair it if you pitch the ball onto the green.

Most courses have notices on the first tee and ours also has them by all the par 3's but it is amazing how many unrepaired ones you find.

Also noticed that the aprons to the greens always have lots of marks. There's no reason you can't repair those as well so long as by doing so you don't improve your lie, line of play or area of intended stance or swing.

I'm sure I read somewhere that if a pitchmark isn't repaired within a certain time the grass will take far far longer to grow back.
 
I play right behind our seniors roll ups on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I probably repair 3-4 (fresh) pitch marks on most greens. I have complained about this, but have been told that some members struggle to bend over to fix them. I don't actually mind helping out and repairing them, but I do think that if 1 person in the 4 ball can fix them, then they should fix them, rather than just leave them.
 
I often find that if the greens have been worked on, and are not pristine, then the members think there is no point in repairing pitch marks, as the green is shonky anyway. Stupid, but seems to be the case.
 
bluewolf said:
I play right behind our seniors roll ups on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I probably repair 3-4 (fresh) pitch marks on most greens. I have complained about this, but have been told that some members struggle to bend over to fix them. I don't actually mind helping out and repairing them, but I do think that if 1 person in the 4 ball can fix them, then they should fix them, rather than just leave them.
Click to expand...

They manage to get their ball out of the hole or put it on a tee though I presume? I bet they're not slow to take advantage of preferred lies either?
 
Played Wychwood Park recently and they have these signs dotted about:

temporary-42.jpg


To me, if you have signs like this dotteed about the course, you course has a problem with unrepaired pitch marks.

I repair my pitchmarks, as like Fragger, I get a little kick out of it. If I see another mark near mine that has been left, I'll repair it while I'm waiting to putt.

Theres been instances where I've repaired 3 or 4 a time.

People at my track seem to think it's OK to leave a pitchmark in the fringe of the green so long was the ball is on it .........****ers!!
 
It just goes to show a general lack of respect IMO it takes so little time to repair a pitch mark but means that the greens and arguably the course are in better condition next time you play therefore actually enhancing your own enjoyment as well as others. If you can't find your own PM if you at least do one there will end up none left for greenkeeping staff.
 
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