rsvman2 They can't allow that because some guys would spend ten minutes tamping down every aeration mark in the line of their 45-foot birdie putt.
On the other hand I find it interesting that they won't allow taking one's ball out of a divot on the fairway because 'how will we define a divot?' yet they are sure that the players will be able to differentiate a spike mark from an aeration mark.
They should probably just permanently ban spikes at all levels of the game and then allow players to tamp anything in their line so long as they don't effect pace of play. Give them a one-stroke penalty if they fall behind; that would make it worthless to waste time grooming your line intensively because even if you made the putt you would lose the stroke you gained.
I'm all for shot clocks in golf to speed up play. Including the greens. Again, if I were King I'd allow all marks on greens to be repaired. Also, they shouldn't be playing on greens for USGA events if they've recently been aerated.
Yeah, divots are ground under repair and you should be able to move your ball. Common sense should prevail when deciding what a divot is. Unless you have someone like Patrick Reed who will cheat if given the chance. lol