Increased Golfer Etiquette Reduces Maintenance Costs

The Following United States Golf Association Article first appeared in the USGA Green Section Record. This is the first in a 4 part series.

Keeping A Golf Course Looking Pristine Commences With Proper Etiquette
November 18, 2008

By James Francis Moore

For the purpose of this article, consider the following definitions of good players and good golfers. Good players have low handicaps, usually hit the ball a mile, and occasionally post very low scores. Good golfers fill divots, repair ball marks and practice good etiquette each and every time they are on the course. Anyone who has ever worked in golf course maintenance will verify that, unfortunately, the two terms are not mutually inclusive. In fact, good players often are the least likely to be considerate of the games of lesser mortals.
This is not to say that all good players are bad golfers. In fact, practicing good etiquette on the course seems to be slipping across the board regardless of handicap. And the timing could not be worse. All but the wealthiest courses are finding it harder to make a profit these days, with large increases in fuel, fertilizer and labor. Since labor almost always represents the largest budget item, it typically is the first to be targeted when budget reductions are necessary. When forced to choose, most courses with reduced available labor place a higher priority on agronomic necessities than the niceties of completing tasks that good golfers normally do for themselves. Unless we can somehow encourage players to become better golfers, the overall quality of many courses will decline rapidly during tough economic times.

For those who wish to become better golfers, here are the ways you can help your course the most.

Filling Divots

Golfers often ask if they should replace their divot, fill it with whatever has been provided in the divot buckets, or just leave it for the crew.

Applying too much sand or mixture to a divot can cause damage to mowing equipment. (James F. Moore/USGA)

Replacing a divot is the best option, assuming the divot is deep enough to include a significant amount of soil. Without the soil, the divot quickly dries out and is pulled back out of the ground during the next mowing.
The second-best option is to fill the divot with the material provided by the maintenance staff.

Typically, this is straight sand, although occasionally a sand/seed mixture is used by courses using cool-season turfgrasses.


Do - Replace or fill divot holes with the material provided by the maintenance staff.

Don't - Overfill the hole, which results in a sand mound that can dull or damage the mowing units.