5 Best Divot Tools in 2023

Watching your ball land on the green is arguably a top-five feeling in golf. But as soon as you walk up to look at your putt, you should be looking to see if your ball left a mark. If you have the best divot tool out there, you can repair your mark (while bragging to your friends about how close you are to the pin.)

Proper golf rules require you to replace and fix your divots. It’s also common courtesy. In the fairway, you can either tamp down the grass you brought up or put some sand on it to help fill in the course. But on the green, you need one of the best divot tools to take care of your marks.

If you aren’t sure where to start regarding what kind of divot tool to look for, I’ve done the homework for you. Below are great options to show off before you line up your putt. Here are the best divot tools in 2023.

It is impressive how much this simple tool that can fit in your pocket can do. It is designed to not only clean up your divots but also handle other tasks around the golf course. 

First off, there’s a ball line stencil in it, allowing you to mark your balls with a straight line easily to tell them apart from someone else’s. So whether you’re hitting a Titleist Velocity or Vice Pro, you’ll be able to write on your ball with ease. It is a putt alignment aid, so you can better get a read on your putt. 

If you put it in the ground, the top U-shaped design will keep your clubs off the ground, making it super helpful in wet or muddy conditions. It comes with a ball marker, and it has a magnet to keep it locked in.

You can clean your grooves with the end, so that will get rid of any dirt or grime that builds up. It also serves as a bottle opener, allowing you to crack some cold ones on the course. While it may not be the best, it will do the trick.

You’ll barely notice this in your pocket, as it is made from lightweight aluminum. It’s also offered in nine colors to help you match your bag. It’s the most expensive option we’ve listed, but for a good reason.

Grab the Callaway 4-in-1 Golf Divot Repair Tool for a quick fix to your divots. It can do much more than fix your divots, though. 

It has pitch mark repairer prongs at the bottom, like in most divot tools. Made from zinc alloy, this has a durable construction built to last.

It features an ergonomic design that, while a bit odd, is comfortable enough to hold. But it also features two different ways to clean your clubs. There is a nylon bristle brush for flaking away dirt and a metal groove cleaner that helps keep your clubs look fresh. 

This also comes with a magnetic ball marker to help you keep track of where your ball is. It’s a little bulky but fits in your pocket without much issue.

If you aren’t interested in having the divot tool open in your pocket at all times, the VISUALIZE Premium Golf Divot Repair Tool Kits with Ball Marker is a smart investment. That’s because it keeps the tines folded away until you need them.

All you need to do is push a button, and, like a switchblade, the divot tool shows up. It’s suitable for bags and pockets. It might be better if it had a clip on the back, but it works great regardless.

It’s simple to use, and the top design allows you to store your clubs or cigars off the ground so they don’t have to touch the grass or dirt. It’s made from strong anodized aluminum construction and includes a ball marker. The strong magnet lasts a long time to keep your ball marker in place. 

This is offered in many color combinations. 

If you’re looking for an incredibly efficient way to keep the green in great shape, the Insta Golf Spider Divot Tool is it. The unique design has four twisting legs that make for a cleaner and more effective repairing process.

This is great for those who don’t like having a traditional tool with tines that could snag on clothing or a bag. When you aren’t using it, it comes with a milled aluminum case that is small and easy to store.

It’s incredibly durable and easy to use. All you have to do is insert it into your ball marker, twist it slightly, and pull it out. There’s no finagling with the grass that you may have to do with others.

It does hold onto the grass and dirt, so you have to make sure you clean it. It also includes a magnetic ball marker.

Many people wouldn’t argue against golf on a Sunday. But on fall Sundays, when the NFL is king, you may want to split your time and get in an early-round before your favorite team kicks off. This divot tool lets you keep your team in mind while you’re either getting ready for a game or in the offseason.

The divot tool comes with the NFL logo and includes three ball markers with your favorite team’s logo. It’s our favorite with a ball marker because you get three of them included with the price of the tool. 

The tool weighs only 0.14 pounds, meaning it’s lightweight and straightforward to use. The markers feature a nickel color finish. This makes for an excellent gift for a football fan as well. 

It should be noted that the magnet has been known to come off after some extended use. So you may end up keeping your markers in your pocket more often than not.

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What To Consider When Buying a Divot Repair Tool

As you’ve seen from the list, there are different styles of repair tools. But at the end of the day, it’ll work just fine as long as it can fix your ball marks. 

You should look for one built of aluminum construction, as those tend to last the longest. If you choose one with tines, you don’t want them to be sharp, as that can damage the turf. But ones that have distinct prongs will do the trick and be able to fix your marks.

You want one lightweight enough to fit in your pocket, whether it’s the front or back one. That will guarantee that it doesn’t bother you while you’re playing and will be easily accessible when you need it. 

Frequently, you can find ones that can have magnets to store a ball marker on them. Those allow you to keep both of those together since you need them on the green. But make sure to read the reviews of how the magnet holds up, or you may lose your ball marker.

Finally, you can find divot tools in combo sets, as highlighted in our golf club brush buyer’s guide. Something like the Mile High Golf set is perfect for beginner golfers who need new equipment.  

How To Use a Divot Tool

Figuring out where your ball may have initially landed on the green is the first step of using a divot tool. That will be the biggest divot that you need to fix. 

Once you’ve identified where it is, your technique depends on the type of tool you have. If the one you’re using has prongs, you should insert it at a 45-degree angle slightly behind the ball mark.

You don’t need to insert it too deep into the turf to get the effect, as having it enter the turf up to the middle to the length of the prongs should be fine. Once it is in, you can lift the tool upward towards the surface. This will cause the turf to pop back up, refreshing itself.

You can pull the divot tool out and come at the ball mark from another angle if it is a large one. That way, you fully bring the turf up to the surface.

Once you are done refreshing the grass, you can use your putter to tap down on the area to make the turf flat again. If you use something like the Spider tool, you can insert the tool straight down and twist and lift it.

The Different Types of Golf Divot Tools

There have been a few different ones highlighted here, with the Spider tool being the most unique. Most of the ones you’ll see are the two-prong style.

But there are ones that are just a single prong tool. These work fine as well but will cause you to have to insert them into the ball marks from more angles to fully get the propping up you need.

Some people even use tees in a pinch, as they can also lift the turf. So that’s always an option if you forget your divot tool.

Conclusion

To properly treat a course right, it’s important to replace your ball markers and use a divot tool. This will help make sure that others will be able to read their putts more effectively after you.
No matter what kind of divot tool you’re using, it should work well enough if you use it properly. Like our favorite, the Birdicorn, many of them can help you out in more ways than just on the green.