As I mention in the article, there are differing opinions on the "best" way to repair a divot. Below are my thoughts on the best practices for Chantilly National with the turfgrass, soil conditions, and maintenance practices in place here.
Replace
Divots First
If you play golf, you make divots - it is part of the
game. When you make divots, you should
repair them - it is part of the etiquette of the game. There are two ways to fix a divot – retrieve
and replace the piece of sod or fill it with sand or a sand seed mixture.
Every golf course superintendent likely has a slightly
different recommendation as to the proper method of repairing a divot on their
golf course, depending on the local weather and the grass types in use. At Chantilly National, the general rule, whenever possible, is to replace the sod by
placing it in the same direction as it was removed and tamping it down with
your foot or club to ensure solid contact between the turf and soil. Usually, the turf will grow new roots and be
fine, but if it does dry out and die, the dead sod will provide a level surface
for the surrounding healthy turf to grow over.
In the event that the divot has exploded upon impact or has otherwise
become unusable, just fill the hole with sand and tamp and level with your
foot.
At Chantilly National, we have opted to use straight sand
without any seed to fill divots, based upon one of the most desirable traits of
our fairway turf. Creeping Bentgrass
grows, as its name implies, by creeping or growing laterally along the soil
surface. Simply put, the healthy turf
around the divot will creep over and fill in the void much faster than a seed
can germinate, mature and fill the same space.
Additionally, the fertility and watering practices that are necessary
for a seedling to grow to maturity is drastically different from that of a
mature stand, so often times a seed in a fairway divot that is fortunate enough
to germinate rarely receives the moisture and nutrition needed to mature. The best option is to have the divot filled
so that the surrounding turf can grow over a level surface.
No one likes to hit a drive down the middle of the
fairway only to discover that their ball has come to rest in a divot left by a
golfer with an earlier tee time. Whether
by replacing the sod or filling with sand, repairing your divot will ensure the
same playing conditions for you and your fellow members in the future.
The divots
above were created at the same time. The divot in the middle was left
unrepaired, on the right filled with sand, and on the left the sod was replaced
and tamped down. 11 days later it is clear that replacing the divot is the best
option.
Replacing
the sod is the preferred method to repair a divot but if you must use sand
because the sod has exploded please be sure to smooth and level the sand with
your foot. Overfilling a divot can cause
damage to mowing equipment and delay the healing process.
