How to Replace Turf Divots in Golf

That feeling of pure contact on an iron shot is one of golf's purest joys, but it nearly always leaves behind a scar on the fairway - a divot. Leaving the course in better shape than you found it is a simple code every golfer should live by, and learning how to properly replace your turf divots is a fundamental part of that. This guide will walk you through not just the 'why,' but the 'how' and 'when' of repairing divots, covering the different methods for every situation you'll encounter on the course.

Why Bother with Divots? A Course Superintendent's Perspective

To many golfers, a divot is just a chunk of flying grass. To a course superintendent, it's a wound. When your club takes a slice of turf from the fairway, you're not just lifting grass - you're severing a complex network of roots from the soil that nourishes it. A well-repaired divot can recover in about a week. An unrepaired divot can take a month or more, leaving a bare patch that's susceptible to weeds and disease.

Think of it as battlefield medicine for the fairway. By taking a few seconds to properly attend to the divot, you're giving the turf its best shot at a speedy recovery. This isn't just about aesthetics, it's about playability. Every divot scar is a potential bad lie waiting for the next player. Repairing your divot, and maybe one other you see nearby, is a small act with a huge positive impact. It’s one of the easiest ways to show respect for the game, the course, and the golfers who play after you.

The Two Main Ways to Repair a Divot

Fixing a divot isn't complicated, but knowing which method to use is what separates the veterans from the newcomers. There are two primary techniques for divot repair, and the one you choose depends entirely on what your golf shot leaves behind.

• The Pelt Replacement: This is for those wonderful times when your shot creates a neat, solid chunk of turf that stays mostly in one piece. This "pelt," sometimes called a "bacon strip," is the original grass and is the best possible patch for the bare spot.
• The Sand &, Seed Method: This is your go-to when the divot explodes on impact, disintegrates into a hundred tiny pieces, or simply disappears. Most golf carts are equipped with bottles filled with a special mixture, usually sand and grass seed, just for this purpose.

Let's look at how to execute each method correctly.

The Art of Replacing the Pelt: A Step-by-Step Guide

You’ve just hit a crisp 8-iron and a perfect, rectangular piece of turf flies a few feet in front of you. This is the ideal scenario. Replacing this pelt is the best thing you can do for the grass because you're literally putting the living "Band-Aid" back onto the wound. Here’s how to do it right.

Step 1: Find the Pelt Immediately

The sooner you find and replace the pelt, the better. Freshly ripped roots have a much higher chance of re-establishing themselves if they are put back into the soil quickly. Don't wait until you're walking back to your cart, locate and grab your divot right after your shot.

Step 2: Get the Orientation Right

Pick up the chunk of turf carefully. It may sound silly, but try to place it back in the hole the same way it came out. While not always possible to tell, lining up the shape helps ensure a snug fit. The most important thing is that the grass is facing up and the soil is facing down. Just placing it back gently helps position it for the next step.

Step 3: Press it Down Firmly

This is the most overlooked and most important part of the entire process. Don't just toss the pelt into the hole and walk away. You have to firmly press it down into the soil. Use your foot or the sole of your putter or another club. Apply even pressure until the surface of the pelt is flush with the surrounding fairway.

Why is this so vital? Pressing the pelt down re-establishes the connection between the severed roots and the soil. This contact is necessary for the roots to access moisture and nutrients, allowing the healing process to begin immediately. A well-pressed divot will virtually disappear and start to re-root much faster.

Using the Sand &, Seed Mix: When the Divot Explodes

Sometimes, especially on thin or dry shots, the divot shatters on impact. Or maybe your 50-degree wedge takes more of a scrape than a chunk. In these cases, there's no intact pelt to replace. This is where sand and seed comes into play.

Step 1: Check the Cart

Before your round, familiarize yourself with your golf cart. Look for a container, usually mounted on the side or frame, filled with a sand-like mixture. Some courses have them on every cart, while others might place communal boxes on tee grounds or around the fairways.

Step 2: Smooth the Edges

A forceful divot can leave raised, ragged edges of turf around the hole. Gently use your foot or a club to tamp down these edges first. This creates a more level, shallow "pot" for the mix and makes it easier to create a smooth surface.

Step 3: Fill the Hole (But Don't Overfill)

Pour the sand mixture directly into the bare spot. The goal is to fill it so the mix is level with the surrounding turf surface. A common mistake is to create a small mound or pyramid of sand. Overfilling is bad for two reasons: it creates a hard, raised bump that can affect future shots, and it can badly damage the sensitive blades of the fairway mowers.

Step 4: Smooth It Out

Once you’ve filled the divot, use the sole of your shoe or a club to smooth the mix out, making it completely level with the fairway. The sand provides a nice, even bed, protecting the exposed soil. The seed within the mixture will a have chance to germinate and fill with new grass over the next few weeks.

Common Divot Repair Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Observing a few of these simple etiquette rules can make a big difference and show that you care about the course.

• Mistake 1: Ignoring It Entirely. The "it's not my job" mindset is the worst. It takes ten seconds to fix a divot, and your effort directly contributes to everyone's playing experience.
• Mistake 2: The "Toss and Go." Just throwing the pelt back into the hole without pressing it down is almost as bad as ignoring it. Without that firm pressure to reconnect the roots, the pelt will likely dry out, turn brown, and die.
• Mistake 3: The "Sand Castle." Remember, don't overfill with the sand mix. A heaping mound of sand is a headache for the maintenance crew and other players. Level and smooth is the way to go.
• Mistake 4: Using Sand When There's a Perfect Pelt. If there is an intact piece of sod, replacing it is always the superior option. The original turf will heal much faster than new seed can grow. Use the sand bottle only as a backup when the pelt is unusable.

Special Cases: Tee Boxes, Rough, and Greens

Not all turf on a golf course is treated the same. Here’s how to handle divots in other areas.

Tee Boxes

Tee grounds take an incredible beating. Because of the constant use and the types of grass often used, nearly all golf courses prefer that you use the sand/seed mixture provided on the tee box to fill your divots. Do not replace the pelt here, even if it looks perfect. Fill it with the mix and smooth it over, just as you would on the fairway.

The Rough

Divots in the rough are less common and often more like scrapes because of the longer, tougher grass. If you do manage to displace a chunk of turf, try to stamp it back into place. But because the ground is often uneven and the roots denser, it's not always easy. Don’t stress too much about it, but make a good faith effort to kick the turf back into its original spot.

Putting Greens (Ball Marks, Not Divots!)

This is an important distinction. The scar on the fairway made by a swing is a divot. The indentation on a putting green made by a ball's landing is a ball mark. You should never try to repair a ball mark by pulling up the center, as this tears the roots. Instead, you need a proper ball mark repair tool. The correct technique is to insert the tool around the edges of the mark and push the surrounding turf towards the center. Once you've gently closed the hole from all sides, tap it down with your putter to smooth it out fully. A properly repaired ball mark can heal in 24 hours, a poorly repaired one can take weeks.

Final Thoughts

Taking a moment to correctly repair your divot - either by replacing the pelt or using the provided sand mix - is a small act of courtesy that has a big impact. It honors the hard work of the grounds crew, improves playing conditions for everyone else, and is a foundational part of the game's etiquette.

Knowing the unwritten rules, like proper divot repair, is part of playing smarter, more confident golf. One of the ways our app, Caddie AI, helps golfers feel more at ease on the course is by providing instant answers to any golf question, 24/7. So whether you’re wondering about etiquette or need a strategy for a tricky lie, we’re always here to help you navigate your round like a seasoned pro.