A friend of mine has the terrible habit of making huge divots when he’s taking practice swings. It irritates everyone so I thought I’d write today about proper divot etiquette on a golf course.
The common rule is to fix all of your divots after each shot. This is really as simple as taking the chunk of dirt you dug up with your club and putting it back where it came from. If you step down firmly enough the grass will eventually take root again in a few days. It’s also important to fix any divots or holes your approach shots make on the putting surface before you finish out the hole.
The reason for this courtesy is to prevent golfers playing on the hole later from having to deal with unplayable lies or difficult putting situations. If you maim the course with your club you should have the decency to fix the damage to make future golfers’ have an enjoyable game after you leave the course.
As for my friend, he eventually learned to take practice swings without trying to murder the grass and all was forgiven.