Proper Course Care by Golfers

Quick Ball Mark Repair Info Graphic from the USGA

Ball Mark, Divot Repair, and Bunker Raking at ICC:

The ICC agronomy team often receives comments/questions about the proper ways for the membership/golfers to care for the course during a round of golf. These comments include questions on how we'd like certain things done or how others can be encouraged to also do their part in caring for the golf course. The ICC Greens Committee has asked us to share a couple quick instructional videos put together by the United States Golf Association (USGA) about the proper way to repair ball marks, replace divots, and rake bunkers.

Ball Marks:

Repairing a ball mark is quick and easy and helps us keep greens in good condition. In addition to making for uneven playing surfaces, unrepaired or improperly repaired ball marks can lead to increased encroachment of Poa Annua into our bentgrass greens.

Divot Repair:

Refills of divot bottles can be found on the 5th, 10th, and 14th tees. Certain tee boxes also have their own dedicated divot bucket with which divots can be filled as needed. The provided divot mix is for use on tees and fairways only. DO NOT USE THE DIVOT MIX IN THE ROUGH. The bentgrass seed used in the divot mixture is essentially a weed when allowed to grow to rough height.

Bunker Raking:

When done raking the bunker rakes should be placed outside the bunker along the edge of the bunker with the head facing the direction of play. Our bunkers here at ICC also often have a "high side" that is noticeably steeper than the other. Golfers attempting to climb into or out of bunkers on these high sides make a mess of the bunker edge and can even cause significant damage to bunker edges. With this in mind please try to always enter and exit a bunker at low points rather than climbing down and up steep edges to get to your ball.

Entrance and Exit Stakes Update:

Membership adherence to the new guidelines for entering and exiting the fairways continues to be a bit hit or miss. In general membership seems to largely be following this seasons new guidelines with some exceptions. As a reminder the new policy is for carts to enter the fairways immediately after the black and green stake near the start of most fairways. Carts should then travel down and mostly remain in the fairways when heading to their balls. Carts can exit the fairways to address a ball in the rough and then immediately re-enter and proceed down the fairway to the next ball or exit stake. Please exit the fairways back onto the paths immediately before the black and red stakes near the end of fairways. This system has the benefit of naturally spreading out traffic across the width of the fairway while also allowing the agronomy team to mange traffic through the rough as well.

Handicap flagged carts should also be adhering to the entrance when entering the fairway and also following the exit stakes as much as possible.

The exit stake for the 18th fairway remains the most commonly ignored exit stake of the golf course. A significant amount of carts have been exiting the fairway through the sodded portion of turf past where the exit stake typically is. If your ball lands past the exit stake you can still proceed to your ball by keeping the cart in the fairway. However, when exiting the fairway you should still be exiting the fairway immediately before the stake rather than making a straight line through the sod to the path. It may seem counterintuitive but in the long run adhering to the designated exit point is better for the turf. If carts continue to travel through this sodded area the agronomy team may go back to the use of ropes/small stakes in this area.

Carts going through the sod

Carts should exit to the right of the stake as pictured above

We are considering removing the roped portion and some of the black and white stakes on the right side of the 1st hole. However, we remain slightly hesitant as it would not take long for the turf near those pine trees to show traffic and wear stress again if cart traffic ignores the entrance stake before that area. For example, lets say your tee shot for the 1st hole lands in the fairway bunker or on the right-side of the hole by that bunker. Many people might think that driving down the length of the path and then driving the short distance through those trees to their ball is what we would want them to do. That is not the case. In this scenario, the ICC agronomy team wants you to enter the fairway at the entrance stake and proceed to your ball while staying in the fairway as much as possible.

Wildlife: