Repairing pitch mark

[vkurup]

Played on a pretty wet greens today. Had a miserable round, but that is a different story.

Had 1 birdie opportunity, but the putt rolled smoothly towards the hole, only to bounce of an unrepaired pitch mark and miss the hole. My partner thought I should have repaired the pitch mark (not caused by me), but i thought I cannot repair a pitch mark if it is in my line of putt before putting as it may be considered improving the line.

After the round, we checked with the Pro, his view; You can repair pitch marks, but not spike marks.

Question:
1) If there is a pitch mark in the line of putt, can I repair it.
a) if it was caused by me
b) if it was not caused by me

2) What about spike marks? Is the pro right?

 

[brendy]

Pitchmarks yes, spike marks no.
Always check with your partner to confirm it us a pitch nark though.

 

[bobmac]

Is the pro right?

Who would you believe if someone on here said your pro was wrong?

He was right of course.
I'm not saying all pros know all the rules, but this is an easy one

 

[Foxholer]

On the green (only) pitch marks and old holes can be 'repaired' prior to putting, otherwise you can't repair anything. As stated earlier, you should always confirm that you opinion of a pitch mark, you are about to repair, concurs with others in the group

After you have putted, you should repair spike marks or other damage - without spending excessive time doing so.

I've always believed that spike marks and other damage should be repairable, the only reason for not allowing them being the amount of time involved. It certainly doesn't seem 'fair' that, when following a habitual spike mark manufacturer, I am penalised for someone's poor etiquette, then, as a good golfer, repair his/her destruction, so my group is the only one to suffer! :angry:

 

[duncan mackie]

On the green (only) pitch marks and old holes can be 'repaired' prior to putting, otherwise you can't repair anything.

I've always believed that spike marks and other damage should be repairable, the only reason for not allowing them being the amount of time involved.

The general outline you have posted is a good working rule, however you would also be permitted to repair damage caused to your line of putt after your ball had come to rest where it did. An example would be a fellow competitor tripping over and damaging it with his putter, or from some posts here, a fellow competitor missing his tap in and swiping the green with his putter just in front of your ball marker!

The main reason for permitting repair isn't time, it's because it's impossible to discern damage from natural contours and you would have people creating a runway for their putt to travel along with generous 'tap tap tapping' - some seem to do this anyway!

 

[garyinderry]

does anyone have real problems with spike marks ? i never notice them tbh ! pitch marks are a different story though!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sadly you always get the idiot wearing spikes this time of year, which I understand totally and do myself, but they don't pick their feet up on the green and leave track marks as the scuff their soles

 

[SocketRocket]

Soft spike marks tend to go quickly anyway.

 

[CMAC]

Sadly you always get the idiot wearing spikes this time of year, which I understand totally and do myself, but they don't pick their feet up on the green and leave track marks as the scuff their soles

:smirk:

 

[SocketRocket]

:smirk:

Well, we didn't say it !!

 

[brendy]

Well, we didn't say it !!

Haha sometimes things just dont translate to text haha.