Divots - replace or sand/seed?

[hawaiiandude]

Any knowledgeable greenskeepers around?

 

Obviously it has always been said to replace your divots.

Many clubs I have played at these days are saying leave the divots alone and fill with sand/seed.

 

Many claim the replaced divots never attach and regrow but merely dry up and die anyways.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[J13]

[quote name='hawaiiandude' timestamp='1284556640' post='2697799']
Any knowledgeable greenskeepers around?

Obviously it has always been said to replace your divots.
Many clubs I have played at these days are saying leave the divots alone and fill with sand/seed.

Many claim the replaced divots never attach and regrow but merely dry up and die anyways.

Thoughts?


[/quote]

It's always better to replace a divot with the divot itself. Under most conditions unless your dealing with lack of water it will regrow. Whoever said they don't doesn't know the first thing about plants or their root systems. The only reason for a sand/seed mix is to prevent other grasses like rye from growing in instead of maybe the bent grass that you have. Again this depends on the area of the country/world.

[Pweb44]

I alwyas been told that a properly replaced divot will reattach. If you have ever layed sod down on your lawn, the roots will grab on and take hold with a little water and sun. I've have been told the sand/seed mixture is used more on the tee boxes since the grass in those area take more of a beating then the divots in the fairways. I'm not professional greenskeeper but anyone else who has worked on a golf course may be better able to answer your question.

[Jimmy Mac]

I'm no expert, but what I've always done is replace any deep divot (enough to have a decent chunk of dirt) and sand/seed any shallow divot (where it's just sort of skinned off all the grass and there's not a "pelt" left out).

I have heard that you should only sand/seed teeing areas instead of replacing the divot, but I have no idea why that would be a better approach.

[jlg214]

A lot may depend on where and when you playing. In my experience playing in south FL many times the divot simply explodes at impact and there is really nothing left to replace. This is also true on many sand based fairways in the midwest. In such cases you really don't have an option of replacing the divot. The sand/seed mix is as much about providing a flat surface for the next player as it is about growing new turf.

[Mike_C]

I have always replaced my divots, but spent most of my golfing life in the Midwest. But since moving to North Carolina 2 years ago and playing on Bermuda grass, I've been told its a waste of time, they don't grow back in here. So I use the sand/seed we have for that purpose.....I think the Bermuda just sort of explodes most of the time and the roots are not attached, even if you replace it with what seems like a full divot, it will always die...

[Mainlinegolfer]

From the USGA's website - Course Maintenance and Agronomics (Turf Management) FAQs:

[b][i]We have [u]bentgrass fairways[/u] and I'm confused as to what to do with my divots. Are we better off replacing the divot or just filling the scar with the sand/seed mix that's provided?[/b]

If the divot has some soil attached and hasn't been blown into a hundred pieces, it will heal quickly if it is replaced immediately. Be sure to replace the divot (green side up!) and step on it to establish contact with the soil below. If the divot cannot be replaced, then the sand/seed mixture should be used in the scarred area. Golfers who take the time to replace a divot properly or repair divot areas help keep the fairways in good condition for their fellow golfers.

[b]We have [u]bermudagrass fairways[/u] at our golf course. I want to be mindful of the proper etiquette, so how do I handle any fairway divots that I might create?[/b]

When the bermudagrass is actively growing, applying straight sand or a prepared mix to the divot areas will help the scar heal rapidly and level the playing surface for your fellow golfers. The same procedure can be used when the bermudagrass is dormant or if the surface has been overseeded for the winter months. [/i]

[hawaiiandude]

Good comments here - Thanks!
I will continue to replace my divots whenever possible