A suggestion was made from the Green Committee to remind golfers how we treat divots at Highlands CC. The Golf Staff include this information in their communications, the Piper and the Highlands Traditions information sheet. We will also look at other avenues to get this info out to the membership, but for now, this will be a starting point.
1. On the tee, especially PAR 3 tee, if you take a divot, nothing is required of you. For the sake of level tees, my staff will come behind and fill the void with a sand/seed mixture.
2. On the Fairway, if you take a divot, please immediately replace the divot and step on it to make good soil to soil contact so the roots can grow back with minimal drying out. If the divot explodes, fill the void with sand that is supplied for you, on the golf cart.
3. The Rough is treated the same as a fairway. Please replace your divots. If the divot explodes, fill the void with sand.
It is important to note that the sand mix on the carts, does not contain seed. There are 2 reasons for this:
First, a lot of times, divots heal from vegetative growth of the surrounding turf. The creeping growth habit of Bentgrass will fill in most voids. Seed germination requires a lot of water and constant moist conditions, which we don't want to promote in our fairways.
Second, we have enough of a challenge with bentgrass growing in our roughs, that we don't want golfers filling divots in the rough with a sand/seed mixture. When my staff fills fairway divots, something we do 2x per week, we do use seed because they are properly trained not to fill divots in the rough and also to use the proper rate of seed.
If you have any questions regarding divot filling, please ask me or see Ken in the Golf Shop!
