Golf Course Etiquette

The basis for golf course etiquette is for consistent and championship playing conditions as well as agronomic reasons.  Balls that land in unrepaired divots place a golfer at a disadvantage, just as does having to putt over an unrepaired ball mark or a scuff mark from a golf shoe cleat.  By leaving turf damaged (unrepaired), it becomes susceptible to disease and/or infestation of weeds, resulting in a lower quality of playing surface.  This necessitates the need for additional attention by golf course superintendents and their staffs, thereby taking them away from more pressing duties.  As a general rule, a ball mark repaired within 10 minutes will heal with a smooth surface within two to three days.  An unrepaired ball mark may take as long as three weeks to heal, but the result will be an uneven playing surface.  Please be courteous to other members and their guests by follow the suggestions listed below. 

BALL MARK REPAIR:

Proper ball mark repair

Step 1.  Use a ball mark repair tool.  If you do not have one the pro shop will provide one for you.

Step 2.  Insert the repair tool at the edges of the mark and gently push the grass forward and towards the center of the ball mark, do not try to repair from the middle of the depression.

Step 3.  Bring the edges together but don't lift the center. Try not to tear the grass or the roots of the grass.

Step 4.  Smooth the surface with the bottom of your putter.  Repeat steps until the surface is one you would putt over.

Step 5.  If time allows fix any unrepaired ball mark on the putting surface.

GOLF SHOES:

Scuff marks on ICC greens following opening day of Men’s League

The green is the most sensitive area on the golf course, and as such, golfers should do everything possible to help maintain the integrity of the putting surface.  Along with fixing ball marks, care should be taken to prevent scuff marks caused by golf spikes.  While great “strides” have been made by banning metal spikes, even the latest soft-spike technology can cause damage if one is not careful.  Some soft-spikes are so aggressive they have been banned from golf courses.  Always walk softly, and never run on the green.  Make sure that you lift your feet fully to prevent long, dragging spike marks.  Scuff marks directly affect the playability of the green by creating an obstacle for the ball, and unfortunately, rule 16-1 prevents a player from repairing a scuff mark that falls on the line of putt.  A bad scuff mark could take days or even weeks to heal.  Please do your part by lifting your feet, being careful not to twist your feet when retrieving the ball from the cup, and by not moon walking after sinking that 20-footer.  If you feel your soft-spikes might be causing damage to the putting surface please consult the pro shop.   

REPLACING DIVOTS:

As a general rule, replace any divot on the course.  Where the divot is in the fairway or tee, and it is obvious that the remaining turf will not grow, then use the sand provided in a container on the golf cart or the containers provided for walking golf play at the first tee.  Only use the sand on the FAIRWAYS AND TEES.  Take the time to level off the sand. Not enough sand can effect the lie of a ball, and too much sand can quickly damage mower blades.

In replacing a divot, the policy is to replace the divot so that grass can send down new roots.  Replace the turf in the same direction it came out, and tap down firmly so the mower won’t pull it back out.  Take the time to replace it properly.  Quickly stepping on the replaced divot and hoping for the best is not good enough.  If you are walking there are walking sand bottles available at the pro shop.

RAKING BUNKERS:

Bunkers pose enough trouble themselves.  Imagine playing from them when they are left un-raked (maybe you don’t have to imagine).  To avoid leaving a poor playing surface, follow these tips:

• Enter and exit the bunker at the lowest point closest to your ball.  This will ensure you do not displace too much sand, especially on slopes.
• Alternate between pulling the sand toward you and pushing it away from you to make the surface even.  This will make the bunker surface even without sand displacement.
• All holes and footprints should be smoothed over upon exiting the bunker.
• Be sure there are no indentations in the previously disturbed sand.
• After raking is completed, the bunker rake should be placed outside the bunker lying flat.
• If your ball does plug…play it… then push the sand back up over the footprint, smooth it and pack the sand with the back of the rake head so the next player will not plug in a soft, unpacked lie.

CART USAGE:

The general rule of thumb is to not continually follow worn paths.  Try to spread out your cart traffic even if it means going a little out of your way.  NEVER drive within about 50 yards of greens (unless you’re on a designated cart path).  These areas are especially susceptible to damage by the wheels of golf carts.  NEVER drive onto or close to tee boxes, either, unless on the cart path, keeping all four wheels of the cart on the path where provided.  Observe all cart signs while on the course.  During wet or extreme heat conditions we may ask golfers to keep carts in the rough and on cart paths or exercise the 90 degree rule, which means entering and exiting the fairway at a 90 degree angle limited the travel time on the bentgrass.  Signs will be posted at the first and tenth tee explaining golf cart restrictions. 

DRIVING RANGE PRACTICE:

The new practice facility will be open soon. With that in mind, we’d like to share a few tips and reminders on how to properly utilize the space so that it stays looking its best.  First, there will be certain times during the year when the turf will be under stress due to extreme weather conditions and practice tee use.  These times will likely warrant the use of the artificial turf teeing ground.  Please utilize the artificial teeing ground as instructed so that the turf can recover as quickly as possible.

When the grass tee is open for use, please be strategically conservative with your divot placement.  At Illini CC, we like to implement the “line” method, and not the “group” method.  Check out this video of Golf Pro John Gilchrist, and Superintendent Kyle Sherwood explaining the technique.  Recent studies have determined that after a typical practice routine of hitting a small bucket of balls (30 shots) within a “group” of divots, an average of 4.1 square feet of turf is removed.  Extrapolated over a season, that equates to nearly 205,000 sq. ft., or 4.6 acres!  Conversely, when each shot is placed directly behind the previous divot in a “line”, the same 30 shots remove only 2.1 square feet of turf.  That’s a 50% reduction in the amount of turf removed during a practice session!

Lastly, the chipping green will soon be reopened along with the rest of the practice facility.  Reminder, the chipping green is for use of chip shots and bunker shots only, NO PITCH shots from the driving range tee top.  A great deal of time, money, and hard work have been put into the driving range renovation project.  Following these simple suggestions will help to maintain the quality and aesthetics of YOUR new practice facility.