Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2019 - 16

Fixing
the
FAIRWAYS
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
I
f performed in the correct manner,
hitting a golf ball will cause
divots, scrapes and marks on golf
course greenery. Therefore, each golfer is
responsible for repairing those black or
brown scars on tees and fairways-ideally
in the manner the golf club prefers.
But not every golf course employs the
same methods, which can be confusing
to golfers willing to repair the damage
they've created.
During an early October round at
The Quarry with Giants Ridge director
of golf John Kendall, I drove a cart
equipped with sand bottles and used
them frequently. Meanwhile, Kendall
replaced large divots taken in the fairway.
It prompted a discussion on the various
divot repair methods.
" Courses use a mix of the options, "
Kendall says. " It is dependent upon the
type of grass and what works best for
each facility. "
Not all divot repair is created equal.
There are several ways-sand, green
sand, soil and seed mix and replacing
the actual cut turf-to fi x the fairways.
There are also different climates, growing
seasons and a public-versus-private
component to consider. At Giants Ridge,
the growing window for bentgrass fairways
is relatively short, so the course
promotes a combination of methods.
" Bentgrass in our climate is not the
best to regrow replaced divots, " Kendall
says. " When we have a divot taken, typically
the root system is cut and we've
most likely killed that piece of turf. We
have to regrow it from the sides; we are
not going to regrow it vertically. "
Kendall will replace a full divot when
the conditions are wet and receptive to
regrowth, but generally they use green
sand (for aesthetics) in the bottles and
ask golfers to fi ll in the divot and level
it off.
" We use straight sand; we don't put
seed in that sand mix, " Kendall says.
" We give those plants a base to try to
regrow in from the sides. And playability
is important. Leveling that hole off with
sand lessens the likelihood of you getting
an unplayable lie in the middle of
the fairway. "
At Mankato Golf Club in southern
Minnesota, there's a slightly longer growth
window for bentgrass, but course superintendent
Fred Taylor says the club ran the
gamut in search of a divot solution. He
says the club members are very motivated
to participate in the care of their course, so
there were plenty of seed and soil bottles
versus replacing the turf discussions-and
sometimes emotional ones.
" It's funny to be talking about this,
because we've been through a whole
round-robin on the issue, " Taylor says.
" It's pretty close to our hearts. "
Years ago, the club used the seed and
soil bottles. It later switched to strictly
replacing divots, but the members didn't
like that. If the divots weren't tamped
down, they would dry and die in the hot
sun, then get caught up in the chains
dragged daily by the maintenance crew.
There's more than
one way to repair
your divots-
but they're all
designed to leave
no trace.
16
MINNESOTAGOLFER Spring 2019
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Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2019

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