Very few things are more frustrating for golf course superintendents than greens littered with ball mark damage. It’s easy to focus on the fact that many golfers still do not know how to properly repair a ball mark, or choose to ignore the importance of doing so. However, it might be more productive to focus on individual ball mark characteristics and what they are telling you. The shape, depth and quantity of ball marks can give clues on how the greens are performing and where management practices might need to be adjusted.
If you are frequently seeing deep craters that are difficult to repair, it is likely a sign that the greens are overly soft. Perhaps the concentration of organic matter is too much and they could benefit from additional sand topdressing? Or maybe the turf canopy is thin and in need of additional fertilizer? Is it possible that watering practices need to be scaled back or supplemental drainage is needed to accelerate drying following a rain?
Of course, there are many factors that can influence the frequency and severity of ball marks on a particular green that are not easily corrected with agronomic changes. One would expect to see more damage on greens that receive shots from an elevated position, on greens that slope back to front, and as rounds increase. Ball mark damage also becomes a hot topic during times of year where prolonged periods of wet weather are common.
Although there’s little that can be done by superintendents to change putting green architecture, and there’s no stopping Mother Nature, there might be other maintenance practices that could be improved upon to address ball mark issues and improve overall playing conditions. At the very least, documenting excessive ball mark damage could help to explain why practices like topdressing are important and provide golfers with a friendly reminder that you’re doing everything you can to minimize ball marks but you need their help too.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Adam Moeller, director, Green Section Education – amoeller@usga.org
Darin Bevard, director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott Dowling, agronomist – edowling@usga.org
John Daniels, agronomist – jdaniels@usga.org