Divot
A divot is the strip of turf displaced when a golf club strikes the ground during a shot, typically with an iron or wedge. The term also refers to the bare patch left in the turf after the piece is gone.
What is a divot?
A divot is the piece of turf that the clubhead removes when a player strikes the ground while making a shot. The word covers two related things: the strip of grass and soil that flies into the air after impact, and the bare spot left behind in the ground. Most golfers and rule-makers call the airborne piece a divot and the bare spot a divot hole or divot mark. In casual conversation, the two get used interchangeably.
Divots happen on shots played with irons and wedges because those clubs are built to hit down on the ball. The grooves and loft do their work as the clubhead descends through impact, and the club continues into the turf just past where the ball was sitting. A clean divot that starts in front of the ball is what solid iron contact looks like.
Why divots happen
Iron and wedge shots are designed around a descending strike. The lowest point of the swing arc sits a few inches ahead of the ball, so the clubhead is still moving downward when it meets the ball, then keeps going into the turf. That continued downward motion is what scrapes off the strip of grass.
Steeper-lofted clubs cut more turf. A pitching wedge has a steeper angle of attack into the ball than a 4-iron, so it tends to leave a deeper, more visible divot. Long irons may only brush the surface or leave a faint scuff. Drivers and most fairway woods are different: they are built to be swept off the tee or the grass with little to no turf interaction. A divot with a driver almost always points to a swing flaw rather than a clean strike.
Divot vs. pitch mark
These two terms get mixed up constantly, but they describe different types of damage. A divot is made by the club. A pitch mark, also called a ball mark, is made by the ball itself when it lands on soft ground and leaves an indentation. Pitch marks usually appear on the green after an approach shot, though they can also show up on a soft fairway.
The confusion runs deep enough that the small two-pronged tool every golfer carries to repair ball marks on the green is widely sold as a “divot tool,” though its actual job is fixing pitch marks on the green. The ball mark tool is also known as the pitch mark tool, ball mark repair tool, and divot tool, although the last name is a misnomer since it fixes ball marks on the green rather than divots in the fairway.
| Feature | Divot | Pitch mark |
|---|---|---|
| What causes it | Club striking the turf | Ball landing on the turf |
| Where it appears | Fairway, tee, rough | Green, soft fairway |
| What it looks like | Strip or rectangle of turf | Small crater or indentation |
| Repair method | Replace turf or fill with sand and seed | Two-pronged repair tool |
| Free relief allowed? | No, with rare exceptions | Yes on the green; embedded ball relief in the fairway |
Repairing a divot
Two methods cover most situations. The first is replacing the turf piece itself, retrieving the chunk that flew out, and pressing it back into the hole with a foot or club. Clean, deep divots with soil and roots attached are good candidates for replacement, while shallow ones with no roots, or those reduced to fragments, have little chance of survival.
The second method uses a sand-and-seed mix, often supplied in bottles attached to golf carts. The mix fills the hole and helps new grass grow in. Mixes vary by course because the right recipe depends on grass type and growing environment, with most using sand as the main component, sometimes blended with grass seed and organic material to retain moisture for germination.
Some clubs ask players to replace the turf piece. Others prefer a sand mix. Policies can also vary within a single course, with separate rules for fairways and tee boxes, so checking with the pro shop or a course sign is the simplest way to know what to do. Either way, repairing divots speeds the healing of the turf and keeps the playing surface fairer for golfers behind.
Divots and the rules of golf
A ball that comes to rest in a divot hole is one of the most disliked situations in golf, and the rules offer no free relief. Under the USGA and R&A Rules of Golf, the player must play the ball as it lies. Craig Winter, Senior Director of Rules of Golf and Amateur Status for the USGA, has explained that playing the ball as it lies is fundamental to golf and that there is no practical solution other than to leave divot lies as part of the game.
The same applies on the PGA Tour. The Tour plays under the same Rules of Golf as the rest of the game, and there is no Model Local Rule that provides general free relief from divot holes. Jordan Spieth played from divots on three consecutive holes during the 2024 Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he later said balls funnel into the same spots often at that course.
The rules also forbid pressing down or removing a divot in a player’s line of play before a shot, with limited exceptions for damage well clear of the swing area.
Where the word “divot” comes from
The word is Scottish and far older than the game’s modern form. “Divot” first appears in the 1530s as a Scottish term for a piece of turf or sod with the grass growing on it, used as roofing material, and the golfing sense was recorded by 1884. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word to Scottish Gaelic dubhad, a reduced form of dubh-fhàd, literally meaning “black sod” or “black turf.” The same word turns up in early Scottish writing about peat-cutting and stone walls long before anyone was hitting a golf ball with it.
Related Golf Terms
- Dew sweeper — A golfer who plays the first tee time of the day.
- Dispersion — The spread pattern of a golfer’s shots around a target.
- Desert course — A course built in arid environments with desert landscaping and limited rough.
- Decel — Decelerating through impact instead of accelerating, causing poor shots.
- Dimples — The small indentations on a golf ball that create aerodynamic lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is taking a divot good or bad?
With irons and wedges, taking a divot is a normal part of solid contact, provided the divot starts at or just past the ball. A divot that begins behind the ball signals a fat or chunked shot.
Can a ball be moved out of a divot in the fairway?
Not without penalty under standard Rules of Golf. The player must play the ball as it lies, or declare it unplayable for a one-stroke penalty and drop within the relief options of Rule 19.
What is the difference between a divot and a divot hole?
The divot is the piece of turf removed. The divot hole, or divot mark, is the bare spot left in the ground. Common usage often blurs the two.
Should a player replace a divot or fill it with sand?
Course policy decides. Some courses prefer replaced turf, others provide a sand-and-seed mix and ask golfers to fill the hole instead. Asking at the pro shop is the simplest way to find out.
Do drivers take divots?
Rarely, and not by design. Drivers are built to strike the ball with a sweeping or slightly upward motion off a tee. A driver divot usually points to an overly steep swing or a ball position issue.
Sources
- USGA. “Rule 8: Course Played as It Is Found.” Rules of Golf.
- USGA Green Section Record. “The Dirt on Divot Mix.”
- Oxford English Dictionary. “divot, n.”
- Online Etymology Dictionary. “divot.”
- Golf Digest. “Why You Cannot Take Free Relief From A Divot Hole.”
- Golf Monthly. “What Is A Divot In Golf?”
- Florida State Golf Association. “Rules of Golf: Rumors on Divots.”
