Learning How to Repair the Pitch Marks

When you hit an approach shot into the green, you will likely be excited to see it land on the putting surface – and hopefully stop close to the hole. When you do manage to hit a good shot that lands right on the green, you will probably make a pitch mark on the green with your ball. As you walk onto the green to mark your ball, look around to see if you left a mark. If you find one, it is good etiquette to repair the mark so that players behind you have a smooth green to putt on – and so the course can remain in good condition into the future.

For new golfers, fixing a pitch mark can be a little tricky. The steps below should help you learn the technique to repair the green and keep the greens as smooth as possible.

• Use the right tool. There are a couple options for repairing a pitch mark on the green – a regular golf tee, or a divot tool. Either one can work, so it is up to you as to which you prefer and which works better. Most divot tools have two prongs, so many golfers find them to be a little more effective than just the regular golf tee.
• Back to new. Of course, you won’t be able to return the condition of the grass to exactly as it was before the pitch mark, but the goal is to get as close as possible. Insert your tee or divot tool into the green right next to the mark and use it to push the grass back into position. You want to turn the small hole that has been made in the green into a little mound of grass just by gently pushing the grass back into place from all sides of the mark.
• Tap it down to finish. Once the grass is mounded up where the hole was, the last step is to take the bottom of your putter and lightly tap down on the green until you have smoothed out the surface. The goal here is to make this spot as even with the rest of the green around it as possible. It shouldn’t take much pressure tapping down with your putter to flatten out the mark you have made and get the green ready for putting. If you have a little extra time while waiting for someone else to putt, you can look around and fix any other marks you see just to help the conditions of the course improve.