Pitch In And Help Out Your Greens

I think it is fair to say that every golfer hates putting on greens that are full of pitch marks. Seeing these pitch marks often infuriates golfers no end and with it come complaints to the directors of golf and course superintendents alike.

A pitch mark is caused by a golf ball hitting a green following an approach shot from a fair distance.

The shorter the approach shot, the more damage likely to be caused as the ball is generally coming in from a steeper angle.

The damage is more severe on greens that are soft or wet.

With the right cultural practices in place and good drainage throughout the surface this can be avoided to a degree.

You will often experience light applications of sand on the surfaces. This is generally done to fill in voids, therefore creating a smoother putting surface to play on.

It also helps to dry out the surfaces and minimise the build-up of algae, along with spiking, slicing or hollow tining.

Educating golfers to repair pitch marks correctly is an ongoing exercise.

Many golfers believe that the use of a pitch-fork beneath the mark and pulling upwards is the way to go. In fact, placing the pitch fork to the side of the mark and moving the grass inwards from two or three different angles is the correct way to repair a pitch mark. Done correctly, the bruised area will recover in 24 hours.

Done incorrectly and it will take up to a week to recover fully.

Believe it or not, many beginner golfers think that because their ball is not on the green, they have not caused a pitch mark.

They forget to factor in that their ball in fact landed on the green and skidded through the back, hence still having created one.

Remember this: a pitch mark hitting the green is like your mate punching you on the arm.

It hurts!

It causes a bruise and will need some attention to heal fully. Getting ice on the bruise right away (correctly repairing the pitch mark) will make it heal much faster than doing nothing at all.

Good golfing!

Julian Danby will be back next month.

CRAIG'S CHIP: TIP OF THE WEEK

Contact your local pro or stop one of the greeenkeeping staff next time you play and be shown the correct way to repair your pitch mark. Repair your own pitch mark plus one or two others while you are on the green. It will make your next round that much more enjoyable.