Best Pitch Mark Repairers for Golf 2024: Buyer's Guide and things you need to know
Look after your greens properly with one of these handy tools. We also show you how to correctly repair a pitch mark on the golf course.
It’s a common misconception that many golfers believe pitch marks are only made by low handicap players and professionals, when in fact, pitch marks – or those dents that balls leave in the greens – can be made by golfers of all abilities.
This is especially true in the winter months when greens are softer, and thus more likely to be left cratered by approaching golf balls.
We’ve all rolled our eyes at the group in front not repairing their own pitch marks, particularly as they always seem to be on our line to the hole.
It can be one of golf’s biggest frustrations; along with unraked bunkers and slow play.
Related: Is THIS the coolest divot tool you have ever seen?!
That said, we know that it’s not YOU that has left your approach shots unrepaired. After all, it’s never us!
We always repair ours... plus two more!
Best Pitch Mark Repairers for Golf 2024
With all that in mind, maybe you’d like a new divot repair tool to help you out this season.
Or perhaps you’re looking to buy a small gift for the member of your fourball who can be a little forgetful when it comes to green maintenance.
Either way, we’ve got you covered and have taken some of the more popular models of golf pitch mark repairers out for a spin.
Bushnell Pitchfork
Pros:
- Nice and cheap
- Comes with a ball marker
- Made from durable stainless steel
Cons:
- None
Price: £4.99
Bushnell is a brand best known for rangefinders, but it turns out they also make very good divot tools, too.
This two pronged design is a classic, and it get's the job done with ease. The sturdy stainless steel design is nice and weighty, ensuring you can push the turf in very easily, repairing your pitch marks in no time at all.
The handy little thumb slot also makes it very ergonomic, fitting in the hand quite comfortably.
The two pronged design is very hard to fault, but if w were pushed we would say that it's slightly bigger than some foldable options, meaning you can also catch a nasty one from a prong under the fingernails when reaching into your pocket to pull it out.
The added ball magnetic ball marker is also a nice touch, and adds value to what is already a nice cheap option.
Masters Pitch Mark Repairer
Pros:
- Cool futuristic design
- Nice and compact
- Very effective at moving turf
Cons:
- Cap is easy to lose and forget about
Price: £9.99
The Masters Sputnik is one of the more inventive designs we've tested this year. Named after the Russian space satellite, it's red body and four pronged design pay homage to the Soviet Space Program of the 1950s, but this time the mission is a little less ambitious, simply moving grass around a putting green.
The design is an effective one however and the four prongs slide seamlessly into the ground, allowing you to move turf very quickly and easily.
The small gap behind the prongs also allows you to manipulate the tool with your thumb, giving you good leverage if the ground is slightly harder than expected.
Despite looking a little bulkier than other options, thanks to the aluminium construction, it's very light and slides easily into any trouser or short pocket.
Available in three different colours, this pitch repairer is excellent, just make sure you don't lose the cap, otherwise it can be awkward to get in and out of your pocket without getting poked.
Brand Fusion Divot Tool & Alignment Markers
Need to know
Pros:
- Hat clip
- Alignment ball markers and sturdy metal pitchfork
Cons:
- A little basic looking.
Price: £11.99
Brand Fusion specialise in golf accessories and so it’s no surprise that their pitch mark repair offering is solid. The metal tool worked well and had a sturdy feeling, with longer prongs helping to get deeper into the turf (avoiding ripping the grass at the surface).
The design incorporates a hat clip, meaning there’s never an excuse to not have your tool with you – even if your pockets are full! Helpfully, it also comes with four different coloured ball markers so that you can match your marker to your style; if that’s your sort of thing.
The markers themselves feature a basic cross, which can help to provide a straight line when popping your ball back down, but don’t necessarily offer too much more than that.
All in, it’s a solid offering, with everything you’d expect from a brand that are ever-present in the golf accessories market.
Callaway Triple Track Pitch Mark Repairer
Pros:
- Perfect for golfers who use Callaway Triple Track Golf balls
- Two pronged design is effective at repairing pitch marks
- Magnetic ball marker
Cons:
- Plastic design potentially less hard wearing than a metal alternative
Price: £9.99
Designed to work perfectly in tandem with Callaway's Triple Track Golf Balls, this pitch repairer doubles up as a repair tool and an alignment aid when putting.
As a repair tool it does its job very effectively, you can't fault the double prong design, it's a classic and it certainly works.
Throw in the magnetic ball marker that gives you three separate lines of alignment aid, and you've got possibly the best alignment pitch mark repairer on the market in 2024.
Even if you don't use Triple Track balls, the clear alignment lines work with any line on a golf ball, and the marker itself is slim and discreet enough to work as a simple ball marker as well.
Golf Club Repairers - Assorted
Pros:
- Often free
- nice reminder of where you’ve played
Cons:
- Vast difference in styles and qualities
Price: free (sometimes!) - £15
Our last inclusion is a bit of a sneaky one, but likely the sort of repairer used by most golfers – that is, the ones they’ve collected from day trips to nice clubs! We had three versions, a standard two-pronged tool (Royal Cinque Ports), a two-prong with marker (Royal St Georges), and an unusual single prong tool from The Grove.
We were most intrigued by The Grove’s version, given it’s not something we’ve seen too often. It has a handy thumb placement and is adorned with their logo. Unfortunately, it’s also quite sharp! This means that it’s great for getting into the turf, but you need to be a little careful when reaching for it in your pocket! Truthfully it also didn’t perform quite as well as the others when repairing marks on the green – perhaps a little style over substance.
The other two from Kent’s Royal Courses were both strong options, performing equally well. We preferred the Royal St Georges tool slightly, as the included ball marker made for one less thing in our pockets, but the design of the Royal Cinque Ports tool (with their logo incorporated into the overall shape) was more than adequate.
How to correctly repair a pitch mark
Whilst it might be tempting to do so, you should avoid using your tool to ‘dig and lift’ the offending mark.
This can break the roots of the grass and causes longer term damage to the overall putting surface.
Instead, stick your pitch mark repairer just outside of the hole that’s been created, and push the turf towards the centre.
When you’ve worked your way around the perimeter of the mark, tap the area down with a putter to leave the area smooth – and the grass below undamaged!
Oh, and one last thing – don’t do it with a tee peg. Not only will it take twice as long, but you’ll almost certainly not go deep enough when pushing the turf towards the centre; instead breaking the roots of the grass close to the surface of the green (as well as probably breaking your tee).
Pitch mark repairers are one of the most affordable pieces of kit in the whole of the sport, and can essentially last forever. So do yourself and your fellow golfers a favour by checking out one of these below!
What we’re looking for
When it comes to divot repair tools, also known as pitch repairers, we are looking for a couple of simple things.
These are cost, ease of use and durability.
That’s it, they’re not overly technical pieces of kit!
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Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
