Golf courses are judged heavily on the condition of their putting greens. Even the smallest imperfections can lessen quality in the eyes of some golfers. This is especially true for turf near the hole, where golfers expect to make a putt. Whether the damage could actually knock a ball off its intended line or if it is merely a discolored spot that appears uneven is often irrelevant from a golfer’s perspective.
Turf managers work hard to encourage proper ball mark repair techniques among golfers and stress the importance of fixing such damage as soon as it occurs. When it comes time to change hole locations, the maintenance staff is careful to set the plug level with the surrounding turf and knit the seams together. However, despite these best efforts, some blemishes can still be expected and will likely persist for several days or longer before healing completely.
A dash of green sand can eliminate such imperfections, improving ball roll and the overall appearance of the putting greens. The process is quite simple and does not require significant effort or expense. All one needs is a squeeze bottle filled with dry, green sand that can be applied to any blemish. The repairs are best performed during course setup when hole locations are cut. Once the hole new hole is cut, the worker should closely examine the adjacent turf and apply green sand as needed. A small dash should be enough to smooth the bumpy surface of an improperly repaired ball mark and help mask any discoloration that may be present from the edge of an old hole location.
Ready-to-use green sand can be purchased from several companies that sell to the golf course industry. The other option is to make your own by adding green pigment to your topdressing sand. Mixing your own batch allows the shade of green to be customized so that the sand matches the turf perfectly. For best results, the sand needs to be free of coarse or very coarse sand particles. Once the paint has completely dried, make sure to keep the sand dry so that it easily flows from the squeeze bottle and can be easily brushed into the turf canopy.
Equipped with a small squeeze bottle of green sand, a worker can easily fix any noticeable blemishes around the hole in a minute or less. This is a great final touch to ensure your putting greens perform and look great.
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