Stepping onto the first tee on Saturday I was wearing my usual number of layers for this time of the year: a baselayer, polo shirt, lined sweater and gilet, plus fleece-lined trousers. By the time we’d finished the second hole I’d discarded my gilet and then, walking off the fourth green, I had to peel off my sweater – the Sun was shining brightly and the temperature was rising! Coming off the seventh green I dashed into the locker room to remove my baselayer and I played the rest of the round in short sleeves! I regretted my decision to wear lined trousers as I played the rest of the 18!
Spring has arrived and its great to see signs of new life around the course.
The greens are still soft and that means it’s more important than ever to repair your pitch marks. On Saturday one of my four-ball sent a perfectly judged putt towards the hole, only for it to bobble around as it passed over a few marks on the surface. I can’t say I was devastated that her ball didn’t drop into the hole, as my partner and I wanted to win the match, however it wasn’t fair – it didn’t affect the outcome of our match as her partner holed her putt. For those of you interested in the final result, my playing partner pulled off a remarkable coup by winning the 18th to halve the match!
I came across a video that Golspie Golf Club, located in the Scottish Highlands, shared on social media a couple of days ago, showing the prevalence of pitch marks on their 18th green. They placed a golf ball on top of each pitch mark, something I’ve seen on social media before, and the visual effect is pretty shocking. Here’s a similar video recorded by The North Berwick Golf Club just over one year ago.
So, make sure you play your part and always repair your pitch marks.