From Your Greens Committee
As we kick off the 2011 golf season, a brief reminder to do your part in keeping up the pride of Forest Lake. With a little extra effort from our members and guests we can contribute to keeping our golf course looking pristine.
Ball Mark Repair
As courteous golfers, we all know it is our responsibility to repair our ball marks on the green. Try as we might, sometimes one hides from view. That’s why it is common practice, and good luck, to repair yours, plus another. Ball marks are caused when impact compresses a portion of the grass and soil on the surface of the green. Proper repair technique uses a repair tool or tee to lever the compacted area back into the void, filling in as necessary from all around the ball mark. Don’t pry the soil/grass upward. Tap down with the sole of your putter to complete the process. The brown discoloration in the photo shows what happens when you don't repair ball marks properly. Please view the quick video on the proper technique to correct a ball mark, just click on the hyperlink below or paste it into your browser.
Divot Replacement/Repair
We are all too quick to reach for the sand bottle to fill our divots. While certainly better than nothing, that sand and seed mixture takes 2 to 3 weeks to heal the scar left behind when you take a divot. The best thing all of us can do to keep Forest Lake looking its best, is to go grab that divot and put it back. A properly replaced divot can heal that scar in 2 to 3 days. The sand bottle is to be used only when your divot has disintegrated. Remember, Think Sod First!
The ugly scaring left behind by divots is especially noticeable on par 3 tees (see below). We’ve invested to rebuild our tees on #8 and #10. Let’s keep them looking beautiful. While we’re at it, #2 fairway is another trouble spot for unsightly divot scars. Many of them come from some of us hitting range balls back into the driving range. Let’s all vow to stop that practice this year. It will help to keep Forest Lake looking its best, not to mention you won’t be violating rule #7.2!
If you’d like to see a video link on divot repair, click on this…
We know better weather is on the way. Enjoy the season and remember to CO"CARE FOR OUR COURSE". It will pay large dividends to us all.
Your Greens Committee
