Fill Your Divots
One of the simplest and easiest ways to help golf course maintenance is to fill in your divots. When riding in a golf cart, most will have sand buckets/containers on the side. After your shot, fill the divot with sand and smooth it over with your foot. This will help new roots grow through while keeping the surface even. What do you do when you are walking and do not have any sand? Take the time to replace your divot or knock in the sides of your divot using your golf club.
Repair Your Ball Marks
I don’t think there is any greater course maintenance complaint from golfers, ‘There are so many pitch marks on the greens!’. I have always made the effort to fix my own ball mark and two others each time I walk onto a green. To correctly fix a ball mark, you want to start on the back side of the ball mark with a tee or pitch mark repairer. Insert the repair tool into the ground. Then gently push the grass and soil back toward the center of the pitch mark. Repeat this process all the way around. Once you have completed turning the grass and soil inward, gently tap the grass down with your putter. This will smooth the surface. Do not push the grass and soil upward as this will shear the roots and kill the grass.
Rake the Bunkers
This is one of the easier and more considerate things you can do to help with overall playability of the golf course. It can be so frustrating to be in a bunker. Not to mention when you find yourself in a footprint or divot that was left by a prior golfer who didn’t practice course maintenance. It takes very little time to smooth the bunker over with the rake. Try to always rake toward the direction of play. If rakes are unavailable do your best to smooth the bunker over with your foot.