Lesson 3: Taking Care of the Course
The golf course belongs to everyone who plays on it — today, and all the golfers who will come after you. Part of good etiquette is leaving the course in as good condition as you found it, or better.
This means three specific things every golfer is expected to do:
Fix your ball marks. When your ball lands on the green from a long distance, it makes a small dent. That dent needs to be fixed with a ball mark repair tool so the putting surface stays smooth for the next player.
Replace your divots. When you hit an iron shot from the fairway, the club takes a small chunk of turf called a divot. Replace it or fill it with sand so the grass can grow back.
Rake the bunker. After playing from a sand bunker, rake the sand smooth so the next golfer has a fair lie.
Etiquette: Fix your ball marks on the green. Replace divots in the fairway. Rake bunkers after use. Leave every part of the course better than you found it.
What would the putting green look like after a week if nobody fixed their ball marks? What does this teach us about shared spaces — places that belong to everyone?
Go to the practice green with a ball mark repair tool (your facility can provide one). Find a ball mark on the green and fix it properly — push the edges toward the center, then tap it gently with your putter. Now find one more. Practice until fixing a ball mark takes less than 10 seconds. Then go find a divot in the fairway and replace it. Count how many marks and divots you fixed today — write the number in your journal as your ‘Course Care Score.’