You are walking off the green and see a large unrepaired pitch mark. A foursome is waiting to hit (either from the fairway or tee). Do you stop for 15 seconds and fix the mark or just proceed?

I typically ignore it and move on, figuring the people behind could care less about the pitch mark and just want to hit. Still, it bothers me to just walk by such an obvious flaw.

Pet peeve of mine is people not repairing their pitch marks. I always repair mine and others that I see.

Matt

mwfaith1971 wrote:

Pet peeve of mine is people not repairing their pitch marks. I always repair mine and others that I see. Matt

Well, I agree Matt, but a bigger pet peeve of mine is people taking their sweet time to clear the green when I have already been waiting longer than reasonable. So, while I appreciate the effort to repair pitch marks, I'd be happier to repair my own, plus another when I get there, if it means I'll get there sooner.

Okay, I admit it, I can be impatient with slow players.

I would repair the pitchmark. Not just for the good of the next flight, but it is just proper care of the course. It shouldn't take 15 seconds though...

Yesterday, I played behind three 4-balls that went really really slow (5 1/2 hours for 18 holes... ). Should we not repair that pitchmark, knowing we will have to wait on the next teebox anyway (and thus, so will the flight behind us)?

What I'm trying to say: if there is a 4-ball behind us that has to wait for us to clear the green, chances are it's not us that is slow but the flights in front of us. So, what's the rush?

jev wrote:

I would repair the pitchmark. Not just for the good of the next flight, but it is just proper care of the course. It shouldn't take 15 seconds though... Yesterday, I played behind three 4-balls that went really really slow (5 1/2 hours for 18 holes... ). Should we not repair that pitchmark, knowing we will have to wait on the next teebox anyway (and thus, so will the flight behind us)? What I'm trying to say: if there is a 4-ball behind us that has to wait for us to clear the green, chances are it's not us that is slow but the flights in front of us. So, what's the rush?

I think that's valid and sound reasoning. In my opinion, there's a lot of variables that will come into play if i were to see a pitch mark on my way off the green. This was the first one, and assuming you're waiting on the tee anyway, yea I'd fix it.

The others though are important. Is the pitch mark in my direct line of leaving the green or did i see it and it's to my right or left. I think if i'm going to be walking within about a yard of it, i'd stop and fix it (again, it shouldn't take as long as 15 seconds) but if i had to take any more than a step to the right or left i wouldn't bother. Next, did i play the hole slowly? Drive, approach, one or two putt? then yea i would have the time to fix it, but if i hit something in the brush and had to look for it, or had to play a few shots and rake a bunker that's too much delay on the hole already -- the guys behind you will get the pitch mark presumably. Still it all goes back to what's happening at the next tee. If the guys are still there hitting, i'd just quick fix it.

Doug,

I see your point and I wasn't clear with mine. I fix pitch marks only if I won't be holding up anyone behind us. Mine and any in my line only, if there's anyone behind us.

Matt

lol...I fix a LOT of pitch marks. If people have to wait, so be it. I'm making one group wait for the benefit of the rest of the groups that play that week.

But I do draw the line. On Friday, I had fixed some 30 pitch marks on the first three holes. At that point, I figured I had done my fair share, and proceded to only fix mine plus one more for the rest of the round.

I wouldn't fix it, because I would have already fixed a few while other people in my group were putting.

I normally repair mine and others I see while I am on the green putting. When it gets to the point that the pin is placed back in the hole and I'm walking off, I do not try to fix any divots because I know people will start shooting for the green! I just get the heck out of there !!

I understand both sides of the issue. Pitch marks will scar a green if not repaired. A decent pace a play needs to be maintained. I strive to play under 4 hours whenever possible. I can walk 18 on my own in under 2 hours. Taking 15 seconds to repair a pitch mark will not cause groups to back up behind me. I will repair the green.

if people just fixed their pitch marks then i wouldn't have to, really how tough is it to do. i fix extra marks all the time and if i saw one while leaving the green, i'd stop to fix it, i don't want the group behind me thinking it was me who left the pitch mark unrepaired

Fixing my pitch mark is the most fun part of hitting the green in regulation! Plus, if you have a Mark Mender, it's fun and easy!

I've played with some guys who I would rather not have fix their own pitch marks because they do it wrong.

Bryan K wrote:

Fixing my pitch mark is the most fun part of hitting the green in regulation! Plus, if you have a Mark Mender, it's fun and easy! I've played with some guys who I would rather not have fix their own pitch marks because they do it wrong.

The Mark Mender is a great tool. I bought one early last year after hearing about them on this site. (Might have been due to a post you wrote, don't remember now.) Unfortunately, I went for the most expensive one, which is the steel version. It worked great, but I didn't like the heaviness of it in my front pocket. So this year I bought an aluminum one and 3 of the plastic versions, all for about the cost of the original one I got. I think the plastic ones are like $12 for three. These are all great. Use them religiously. I like the aluminum one best. It has longer prongs, than the plastic ones, but much lighter than the steel one.

If more people had these tools, I bet there would be many more pitch marks repaired. It's actually so easy to repair marks, correctly, with these.

If it's a big fresh gaping one of course I would repair it. Constantly I am amazed at my local course how many there are, especially since I hardly ever see people actually hit a proper enough approach to even make a pitch mark. it's weird.

After playing a round in the frozen tundra yesterday, I encountered a situation where it probably isn't wise to replace a pitch mark. I hit the green from about 140 out on the first hole (only to see the ball roll about 50 yards past), and I left a gaping hole in the frozen turf. When I tried to repair it, all that happened was a bunch of frozen chunks came out of the ground. I'm pretty certain I did more harm than good.