How to Repair a Golf Ball Divot on the Putting Green

Hitting a great approach shot that lands softly on the green is one of the best feelings in golf, but it comes with a small responsibility: repairing the mark your ball leaves behind. Knowing the proper way to fix a golf ball divot, or pitch mark, is a fundamental part of golf etiquette that keeps the course in great shape for everyone. This guide will walk you through exactly how to repair a divot on the green correctly, so you can leave it better than you found it every single time.

Why Repairing Your Pitch Mark Matters More Than You Think

You might think fixing a pitch mark is just a courtesy, a small bit of tidiness. But it's actually one of the most important things you can do to help maintain the health and playability of a golf course. When a ball hits the green from a high trajectory, it compresses the soil and the turf, creating a small crater. If that crater is left unrepaired or is fixed improperly, it causes significant damage that takes weeks to heal. An unrepaired pitch mark leaves an ugly brown spot and a bumpy surface that can knock putts offline for days or even weeks.

Think about it agronomically. A properly repaired mark allows the grass roots - which have been stretched but not necessarily severed - to recover within about 24 to 48 hours. The grass can rebound, and the spot will be virtually invisible in a day or two. However, when left alone, those stretched roots are exposed to the air and die off. Weeds can start to grow in the bare soil, and the green's surface becomes inconsistent. The superintendent and their team can only do so much, good putting surfaces rely on golfers doing their part.

So, the next time you step onto a green, remember that fixing your mark, and maybe one other you spot, isn't just about being a good playing partner. It’s a direct contribution to the quality of the course. A greenskeeper once told me, "a healthy green is a happy green," and a huge part of its health is in the hands of the golfers who play on it.

The Right Tool for the Job: Your Divot Repair Tool

While you can technically use a golf tee to repair a pitch mark - and it’s certainly better than nothing - using a proper divot repair tool makes the job much easier and more effective. There are a few common types, but they all operate on the same principle.

• The Classic Two-Prong Tool: This is the most common design you'll see. It has two thin, metal prongs that are perfect for getting into the turf around the mark. It's simple, effective, and gets the job done well.
• The Single-Prong Tool: Some golfers and course superintendents prefer a single-prong design. The argument is that one prong creates less potential for collateral damage to the healthy turf around the pitch mark. It allows for a more surgical approach to the repair.
• Switchblade-Style Tools: These tools function just like a two-prong tool but fold up for safer and more comfortable carrying in your pocket. Many of these also come with a handy magnetic ball marker.

Ultimately, the specific style doesn't matter nearly as much as the technique you use. The key is to have something with you on the green. Make it a part of your routine: when you grab your putter and ball marker, grab your divot tool, too. Many courses even provide free plastic ones in the pro shop, so there’s really no excuse not to have one.

"Don't Do This!" - The One Big Mistake in Divot Repair

Before we get to the correct technique, it's enormously important to understand the most common - and most damaging - mistake golfers make when trying to fix a pitch mark.

Do NOT insert the tool and pry the bottom of the crater upwards.

This is the intuitive move for most people. You see a depression, and your brain tells you to lift it from the bottom. But this is the absolute worst thing you can do. When you stick your tool into the base of the pitch mark and lever it up, you are tearing the grass roots from the soil below. You might make the surface *look* level for a moment, but you’ve just created a pocket of air underneath and have effectively killed the grass in that spot. Within hours, that spot will turn brown and die, leaving a patch of bare earth that takes weeks to regrow.

Think of it like this: the turf is a dense web of roots just below the surface. A ball mark stretches and displaces this web. Your goal is to gently push the web back together, not to tear it apart by yanking it upwards. Every time you see a brown, quarter-sized pockmark on a green, it’s almost always the result of someone prying up the soil from the bottom instead of pushing the edges inward.

The Step-by-Step Guide to a Perfect Pitch Mark Repair

Now that you know what not to do, let’s walk through the simple, effective process of repairing a pitch mark the right way. This entire process should take you less than 15 seconds once you get the hang of it.

Step 1: Get Down to Business

Approach your pitch mark and take a good look. Notice the "back" of the crater, a small raised mound of turf that was pushed up and backward by the ball's force of impact. This is your primary area to work on.

Step 2: Insert the Tool

Take your divot repair tool and insert the prongs into the turf on the high side or edge of the ball mark. Do not insert it into the depression itself, but rather into the healthy turf surrounding it.

Step 3: The "Push-in" Motion (The Secret Sauce)

This is the most important part of the technique. With the tool inserted, gently push the handle forward, using the prongs to push the grass and soil at the edge of the mark towards the center. It’s a gentle turning or twisting motion a bit like turning a key. You are essentially "massaging" the turf from the outside in to fill the central crater.

Step 4: Work Your Way Around

Pull the tool out and repeat this motion from a few different points around the circumference of the divot. Move around the mark - left, right, front - and continue using that gentle, forward-pushing motion to bring the edges inward. The goal is to neatly close the gap from all sides, tucking the stretched turf back into the center until the depression is gone.

Step 5: Tamp it Down

Once you’ve pushed the edges in and the crater is filled, the surface will be a little lumpy. Gently tamp down the repaired spot with the flat bottom of your putter or even the sole of your shoe. This smooths out the surface and helps the roots settle back into place, ensuring a level putting surface for the players behind you.

Step 6: Admire Your Handiwork

That's it. A perfectly repaired pitch mark. The spot will be green, level, and ready to heal. You can walk to your putt knowing you've fulfilled one of the game's most important traditions of stewardship.

Advanced Tips and Common Scenarios

Once you've mastered the basic technique, here are a few other things to keep in mind on the greens.

• Fix Another One! The unspoken rule of great golf etiquette is to fix your own pitch mark plus one other you find nearby. If every golfer did this, the greens would be immaculate. It’s a small gesture that makes a huge difference.
• What About Old, Brown Pitch Marks? If you come across a mark that's days old and already brown, the damage is mostly done. You can't magically bring the grass back to life. However, you can still use your tool to gently stretch the surrounding turf towards the center and tamp down the spot to make it smoother for putts.
• Fixing a Mark Without a Tool: If you find yourself on the green and realize you forgot your tool, don't just leave the mark unrepaired. You can use a golf tee to perform the exact same procedure. Insert the pointy end of the tee into the turf around the mark and use that same inward-pushing motion. It’s not quite as easy as with a proper tool, but it's a hundred times better than doing nothing.
• If a Chunk of Turf is Displaced: Sometimes a very high, spinning shot can actually pull up a small flap of sod. If this happens, try your best to replace the flap in its original orientation, then gently knead the edges together with your divot tool and tamp it down firmly.

Final Thoughts.

Properly repairing a pitch mark is a skill every golfer should be proud to have. It's a simple act of respect for the golf course, the superintendent, and every player who will putt on that green after you. By remembering the simple action to push the sides in, not lift the bottom up, you're doing your part to keep our courses healthy and putting surfaces pure.

Mastering small details like this is part of becoming a smart, confident golfer who appreciates the game on a deeper level. And as you get better, you'll find yourself hitting more greens and needing this skill more often. Playing with better course strategy is a big part of that, and it's where a tool like Caddie AI can help, giving you on-demand guidance to help you navigate trickyshots and make smarter decisions, so you can spend less time in the rough and more time on the putting surface.