Back to the Basics of Course Care Etiquette

April 04, 2025

Brian Gietka, agronomist, East Region

Repairing ball marks is a simple thing that all golfers can do to improve playing conditions.

To me, being a good golfer isn’t about your score, it’s about trying to leave the course better than you found it. With record numbers of rounds being played, doing our part to take care of courses is more important than ever. We need all golfers, regardless of skill level or experience, to be good stewards. Let’s look at a few basic areas where a little awareness and effort will help keep courses in good shape.

Golf Carts

Carts help golfers get around the course, but they can also cause damage – especially when people don’t follow a course’s cart rules. Cart policies can change daily, so make sure to ask about them before teeing off. There are a lot of reasons why a course may not want you driving in certain areas – some issues are obvious and some may not be. Wet or newly grassed areas surrounded by cart signs should clearly be avoided, but tire ruts show up in these spots more often than they should. Courses may also want you to avoid extremely dry areas, or they may ask you to stay on the path in late fall or winter when grass is hardly growing and can’t handle traffic.

No two courses are exactly alike, so the rules will vary. Follow any ropes, stakes or directional signs – they are there for a reason. Avoid turf areas that appear thin, weak or wet. Try to spread out when driving through high-traffic areas and keep all four tires on the path as much as possible. Don’t drive through naturalized areas, don’t get too adventurous on steep slopes, and don’t get too close to tees or greens. Beyond these basics, erring on the side of caution is always a good approach.

Repairing Divots

Taking a divot is part of the game but the scars should be carefully repaired. The goal is to leave a smooth surface and encourage the grass to heal. In general, if a divot is mostly intact, replace it and tamp down with your foot to smooth it out and restore contact between the roots and the soil. If there are gaps around the replaced divot, fill those with divot mix to help the grass fill in and create a smooth surface for playing. Some courses may prefer that you use mix rather than trying to replace divots. This could be because the grasses on that course tend to explode into pieces after a shot rather than forming a nice divot that is likely to heal. Sometimes the environment or weather isn’t conducive to replaced divots healing so it’s better to fill the hole with mix.

There are many factors that influence divot recovery, which is why policies can vary. The bottom line is to leave places where you take a divot as smooth as possible for the next player and to encourage recovery. If you can refrain from taking divots on your practice swings and avoid hitting practice shots on the course, that helps decrease the total number of divots that need to heal. Another good habit is to fill your divot and one more.

Replacing intact divots or filling the hole with sand helps the damage heal faster and leaves a smooth playing surface for others.

Ball Marks

While fairly small, a ball mark can leave a lasting impact on a putting surface if it is not repaired. Unrepaired ball marks disrupt surface smoothness, and the negative impact can last for weeks. The proper repair technique has several key points to consider. Start by using any pointed tool, including a golf tee. Insert the tool behind the ball mark and gently push toward the center, then work around the edges of the mark gently pressing the turf back in toward the middle. Don’t lift or twist the turf because that can damage the roots. Once you have worked the turf back into place with the repair tool, gently tamp the area with your putter to smooth the surface. While you have your ball mark repair tool handy, see if you can repair one or two more marks that may have been missed.

Bunker Raking

After hitting a bunker shot, try to leave the sand as smooth, or smoother than when you found it. Knowing the basics of bunker raking and putting in a little effort is all it takes. Enter the bunker from the low side and try to bring a rake with you so you don’t have to search for one after hitting your shot. Use the rake to smooth and level any disturbances you create in the sand. As you exit the bunker, avoid pulling a clump of sand up against the edge as this can damage the grass and create awkward lies for other players.

Follow the course’s policy on where to put the rake when you’re done. If they don’t have a specific policy, the USGA recommends placing them outside bunkers and away from where they are likely to interfere with play. Before exiting the bunker, knock any sand off your shoes to keep it from winding up on greens or fairways where it can disrupt play and potentially damage mowing equipment.

Nobody wants to see this after their ball ends up in a bunker.

Keeping Staff Safe

The maintenance staff does their best to take care of the course while avoiding play, but there are times when golf and maintenance will cross paths – especially with how busy courses have been. When you encounter staff, always ensure they see you before hitting in their direction. They may be focused on their task or unable to hear you yell “fore” at first, so give an extra shout or wave if you aren’t sure they noticed you. After the staff responds, be patient while they move out of the way. The Green Section Record article “How To Share the Course Safely With the Maintenance Staff” has more good tips on this topic.

Going the Extra Mile

Beyond the basics, here are a few other things you can do during your next round to leave the golf course better than you found it.

Pick up broken tees and discard them in waste containers to keep them from cluttering the course and damaging mowers.
If a garbage can is full, hold on to your trash rather than piling it high for wind and birds to disperse across the course.
Do not leave cigars or cigarette butts on playing surfaces and keep those sunflower seeds off the greens.
Ropes and stakes are there for a reason, so walk through designated openings and not over or on top of the rope, which will loosen and pull the stakes over.

It is the maintenance staff’s job to care for the course, but golfers need to do their part as well. During your next round, set a good example by using the tips in this article and encourage others to make the effort as well. No matter how long you have been playing or what your handicap is, taking care of the course makes you a great golfer!

Rate This Article

Your opinion matters to us!