A divot is the strip of turf your club cuts out of the ground when you hit an iron or wedge shot. The word also describes the hole left behind, which golfers usually call a divot hole. A divot is normal on full iron shots from the fairway. Where it starts and which way it points tells you a lot about your swing.
What does a good divot look like?
On a well struck iron shot, the club hits the ball first and the turf second. That means a good divot starts at the ball or just in front of it (on the target side) and is shallow, about the size and shape of a dollar bill. It should point at your target or very close to it.
You don't need a divot with every club. Drivers are hit off a tee on the upswing, and many golfers sweep fairway woods and hybrids off the top of the grass. Irons and wedges are hit with a slightly descending blow, so a divot is expected there.
What does a bad divot tell you?
- The divot starts behind the ball: you hit the ground first. That's a fat shot, or chunk, and it usually comes up short.
- No divot at all and a low, thin shot: the club was still rising when it reached the ball, so you caught it with the bottom of the face.
- A very deep divot: your swing is steep. Deep divots often go with chunked shots and sore wrists.
- The divot points left of target (for a right-handed golfer): the club was moving out to in, the path that often goes with a slice or a pull.
- The divot points right of target: the path was in to out, which often goes with a draw, or a hook when the face is closed too.
How do you fix a divot?
Fixing divots is basic golf etiquette. Courses handle it in one of two ways, so look at your cart or ask in the pro shop:
- Replace it: pick up the piece of turf, put it back in the hole with the grass side up, and press it down with your foot. This works best on cool-season grasses that hold together in one piece.
- Fill it: on many warm-season grass courses, including most Bermuda grass courses around Dallas-Fort Worth, the turf tends to break apart, so you fill the hole with the sand or seed mix from the bottle on your cart and smooth it level.
What are the rules about divots?
Under Rule 8.1 of the Rules of Golf, you can't improve the conditions for your next stroke by replacing a divot in a divot hole, or by pressing down a divot that's already been put back, where your ball lies or where you'll stand or swing. Replacing a divot to care for the course is fine. The teeing area is an exception, since you are allowed to alter the ground surface there.
If your ball comes to rest in a divot hole in the fairway, there's no free relief under the Rules. You play it as it lies, unless the committee has marked that area as ground under repair. It feels unfair, but it's also why replacing and filling divots matters for the group behind you.
How do you hit out of a divot hole?
- Play the ball a little farther back in your stance.
- Take one more club than normal, since the shot usually comes out lower with less spin.
- Make a firm, descending strike and focus on hitting the ball first.
- Expect it to run more after it lands.
Do your clubs affect your divots?
Technique matters most, but equipment plays a part. A wedge with more bounce resists digging, which helps steep swingers who take deep divots. A low bounce wedge suits shallow swingers and firm turf. Our guide to wedge bounce covers how to choose. Worn grooves won't change your divot, but they will change how much spin you get, which is one reason to check grooves when you shop for used wedges.
Where the term comes from
Divot is a Scottish word, and its origin before that is unknown. Etymonline traces it to the 1530s, when it meant a piece of turf with the grass still growing on it, the kind people cut for roofing. The golf meaning, a piece of turf cut out by the club during a stroke, is recorded by 1884. Golf simply borrowed an old Scots word for exactly what a club takes out of the ground.
Common questions
Is taking a divot good in golf?
With irons and wedges from the fairway, yes, as long as the divot starts at or in front of the ball. A divot that starts behind the ball means you hit the ground first.
How big should a divot be?
Shallow and roughly the size of a dollar bill is a good target. Very deep divots usually point to a steep swing.
Do you get relief from a divot hole?
No. Under the Rules of Golf you play the ball as it lies, unless the committee has marked the area as ground under repair.
Should I replace my divot or fill it with sand?
Follow the course. If the cart has a sand or seed bottle, fill the hole. If not, put the turf back and press it down.
More golf words in plain English: see our golf terms glossary, or read chip vs pitch and what a flop shot is.
