Anyone see this in the WSJ?

[wolfgame]

http://www.greenfixgolf.com/

There was an article on this company

http://www.greenfixgolf.com/

In the Wall Street Journal....these would not work at my club's greens, because the divots are too deep (wet greens)....anyone try these? In the WSJ article, the USGA pretty much dismissed the product, saying it might work on harder greens...but you could use an ice pick of a screwdriver....as long you know what you are doing (to fix a ball mark properly).

Nevertheless, the person who owns the company claims that 200 clubs (many prestigous) have "outlawed" regular divot tools due to the damage "they" are causing.

Thoughts?

[oregongolf]

they've been mentioned here before. apparently some courses like them so much, they include the cost of one in your green fee and give you one to use.

 

here's a couple threads

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...amp;hl=greenfix

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...amp;hl=greenfix

 

on a side note, i'm all for a little strong-arming if it'll make people fix two or three ball marks for every one they make. i learned that as a kid at a junior camp and it's become a habit ever since.

[cdesana]

White Manor Country Club only allows this type of tool on its course. They say it has helped the greens recover from ball marks at about twice as fast as normal.

 

I played there last year in the Pa. Better Ball of Partners and the greens were in perfect shape, not sure if it was because of these tools or not but they made a point to give one or two to every player in the field.

[Asleep]

The ball mark repair method he demonstrates in the video is exactly how I repair my marks with a traditional tool---I never jam the tool into the ground past about 1/3 of the prong's length.

[oregongolf]

I assume most of the users on this forum will know how to do it correctly... but if this is even close to idiot-proof, great, better greens for you and me.

[raidernut1234]

It works OK on soft greens, but not for the craters you make at a muni. Great on hard greens. The business model is that you have to invest X amount of money for an "exclusive" at your course, which is why its used at the higher end course. I have played at Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, AZ, they went to this system last year.

[wolfgame]

It makes sense on firm green....but how about a green where ball marks are so deep you see dirt and it leaves a crater. Does that mean weeks and weeks worth of damage is being done every time a ball leaves a divot lilke this? My club was vandalized weeks ago...that coupled with Bent and a very hot and dry summer has led to very wet greens that results in craters? Is their no fix.....or a proper way to address these divots?

[bignose]

I saw the article, and my first question really was: Does the GreenFix Wizard repair greens better than a properly repaired pitch mark with the 'regular' tool, or does it just repair better than an improperly repaired pitch mark? Because, if it is the former, then I don't see a problem with them banning the old style tools. However, if it is the latter, then some sort of education process seems more apt.

 

The USGA does have a good point, too, about how not all pitch marks are equal. Sometimes you will need deeper tines to properly fix a pitch mark.

 

Now, just to throw a further wrench into this discussion, has anyone used one of these: http://golf.about.com/od/equipmentreviews/fr/markmender.htm ? Instead of straight tines, this has two sets of tines on a hinge that bunches the pitch mark back together. Maybe these are even better than a GreenFix?