How to Properly Repair a Ball Mark
Ball marks – also called pitch marks – are the bane of smooth-putting and healthy greens on golf courses all over the world. They’re the little depressions, or craters, sometimes made when a golf ball descends from the sky and impacts the putting surface.
A ball mark can cause the grass in the depression to die, leaving not just a scar but also a pit in the putting surface that can knock well-struck putts offline. Repairing a ball mark restores a smooth surface and helps keep the grass healthy. But “repairing” a ball mark incorrectly can actually cause more damage than not attempting to repair it at all.
The following graphic illustrates the best way to repair a ball mark.
Unplayable ball
If your ball is under a tree or in some other bad situation and you decide you cannot play it, add a penalty stroke and do one of the following:
1. Go back to where you played your last shot and play the ball from there; or
2. Measure two club-lengths from the unplayable lie, drop a ball from there; or
3. Keep the unplayable lie between where you drop the ball and the hole, go back as far as you wish on a straight line and drop and play the ball.
Posted 11/20/13