I Tried It: Tomo Golf’s Ninja Kit divot tool is striking and functional

Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories, etc. — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.

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For the majority of my golf life, I never really used anything other than a tee to repair a ball mark. If I had a divot-repair tool, I never used it. It was too much to remember, and one-too-many accessories for my pockets to endure.

But I later discovered that my ball-mark repair technique with the tee was ill-informed. My problem? Pushing up on the grass as I repaired it with the tee. The repaired mark might look smooth on top, but the roots were potentially torn underneath, unbeknownst to me, adding weeks to the grass recovery process. Not ideal!

So when I had the chance to try Tomo Golf’s Ninja Kit divot tool, I was immediately intrigued. Ninja Kit? What in the world could this tool do that others cannot? The answer: well, nothing! But it looks totally awesome, does exactly what it sets out to do (which is repair ball marks with ease), and there were a number of things I loved about it.

First, it’s just a gorgeous-looking tool. The presentation is immaculate. It arrives encased in a slim, black matte metal case with a foam insert — an important addition, because the edges of the tool are surprisingly sharp. It won’t cut you, but it’s probably not a good idea to leave it loose in a pocket or you could get surprised by an uncomfortable jab. The case can slip nicely into a deep pocket, or stick to any magnetic clips you have for other accessories. I just left mine in the golf-cart storage cubby between greens.

The tool itself is made of AA7075 aluminum alloy with a precision milled logo and waxed nylon handle. It looks heavy but is surprisingly lightweight. It’s a unique item and a surefire conversation-starter. After a few holes of use, John, a retired educator and the playing partner I was paired with, inquired about the tool and asked to check it out. He loved it too.

Tomo Ninja Kit Divot Tool

$25

Not lethal, but not not lethal.

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My test round took place at a busy daily-fee executive course in Scottsdale, so there were plenty of unrepaired ball marks on the green to work on. The best part about the Ninja Kit is the fact that it subconsciously encourages you to repair ball marks the proper way — that is, by pushing the prongs into the grass and leaning the tool gently forward as you work your way around the mark. The long prongs and lack of curve in the overall design isn’t conducive to pushing up on the grass, which is great, because that is the ultimate no-no for root preservation.

Ultimately, the Ninja Kit made what can often feel like an obligatory chore — fixing ball marks — into something kind of fun, so Tomo Golf is definitely on to something with this product. And as a side benefit, my kids were thrilled to try out the tool too. Gotta start ’em young!

You can order your Ninja Kit divot tool from Fairway Jockey by clicking the link above.