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Writer's pictureTodd Morris

Aerating - any options?


The quick answer to the question, is generally "No". Unless a local rule is implemented (and we do not have one in the copious REGL rulebook), you do NOT get relief from an aeration hole anywhere on the course. You may think that an aeration hole might be deemed "Ground Under Repair" since they are "holes made by a greenkeeper", but aeration holes are specifically ruled not to be GUR by the ruling body.

The USGA's suggested local rule for balls on the green is as follows:

"On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation. PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes."

I haven't played Ruggles yet this year, but I understand that the greens have recently been aerated, but not sanded. Aeration is extremely important to maintaining turf grasses, and the main incentive for doing it is to inject air into the root systems of the grasses. On a good putting green, these root systems penetrate at least 6-8 inches downward, and with limited access to carbon dioxide (since the green leaves are cut so short), grasses will begin to rot and die (and are weakened by fungi and other undesirables). Some courses fill the holes in with sand after removing the plugs, others allow the turf to refill the holes.

So, here's some scenarios:

1) You mark your ball and notice as you pull away your ball that it's sitting down in an aeration hole. You know as soon as you hit the ball, it's going to bounce up and it's going to loose some of its forward momentum. Can you be granted relief? Without a local rule - no.

2) The greenskeeper left a few plugs on your putting green and one's in your line of putt into the hole. Can you move the plug? Yes! it's a "loose impediment".

3). You put your ball in front of your ball marker, but it keeps rolling into a nearby aeration hole. Should you just play from the aeration hole? Nope. You'd be playing from the wrong spot and would incur a two-stroke penalty. When you place the ball in front of your ball marker, move slightly away from the aeration hole (no closer to the hole) and try to get the ball to come to rest. If you're unsuccessful, keep moving slightly until you get it to come to rest without rolling into the hole.

4) You see a competitor mark his ball on an aerated green, lift it, and then take out his divot tool and loosen the soil in front of his mark and smooth it before replacing his ball. Has he done anything wrong? Actually, yes, he's improved his lie and should assess himself a two-stroke penalty.

I'd suggest that maybe the adoption of a local rule for REGL regarding aerated greens be considered for next year's play. Since our season is 22 weeks long, we'll inevitably be dealing with aerated greens in some years. We really don't need one if Ruggles decided to aerate their fairways, since you can roll the ball in your own fairway to get a preferred lie.


2023 Update: Just saw this story today about a college golfer who set the course record at a U.S. Open local qualifier with AERATED GREENS! First question is: Why would the USGA have a qualifier on a course that had just aerated their greens? Second is: Why would the greenskeeper aerate before a U.S. Open Qualifier? Unanswered questions. Here's the problem. Although Tommy Kuhl earned the right to advance to the next stage of qualifying (the U.S. Open is truly an open tournament as long as you qualify) along with 5 other golfers, and although Tommy played very well, after talking to quite a few of his University of Illinois teammates who lamented trying to put on aerated greens, Tommy suddenly realized he had repaired quite a few aeration holes during his time on the greens and there was no local rule in place to allow the repairs. To his credit, he immediately disqualified himself and let the 6th-place finisher take his place in the next stage of qualifying. I gotta hope the golf gods were watching and will reward Tommy for his honesty and integrity, and I hope he has an opportunity to qualify next year, or better yet, goes to Q-school and earns his card.

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