Turn My Backyard Into A Putting Green
Silvina Spindler
The back corner of the backyard was never used, grew mostly weeds and was overgrown with tree branches. Until we decided, let's put in a putting green! We spent a week researching, watching A LOT of YouTube videos on how to create a backyard putting green, measuring and planning out the space and putting green shape and ordering the supplies we needed for the putting green project. We started and completed the project in 2 days over the weekend.
Thank you very much for sharing pictures and the steps you took to build this fantastic putting green. Among the projects you've shared, this is the one I'm very keen to have a go at. What is the overall size of the putting green and what kind of budget would you set aside for this kind of project?
No there is no slope down - it might just be the camera angle. Originally the far corner of the triangle area was higher but we dug out about 2 cubic metres of soil to level it out with the rest of the backyard.
I chose a Texas-based company called Ideal Turf. They were local to me here in Fort Worth, but they provide service to the entire state of Texas and Oklahoma. Their website actually has a cost calculator so you can get a feel for the expense involved prior to even making a phone call. They were excited about this location, agreeing that it would be a nice size surface for what I was wanted. That made me feel better. Some of the present foliage would obviously need to come out, which can be done by a subcontractor that Ideal Turf uses or I could hire someone else or do it myself. I had the shrubs taken out as well as the Crepe Myrtle tree, but my designer was just fine with me leaving in the Yaupon tree, as he could work around it and give the green some shade and character.
Logan, my green technician, came to the initial consultation with turf samples and a tablet that he could actually use to begin the design right there on the spot. This was the first company that I had seen do that, which was really impressive to me.
We went through the different artificial turf options for both the putting surface and the longer grass border that would surround the green. The shape is completely customizable, with hourglass or kidney bean being the most common choices. I really had three goals in mind. First, I wanted to maximize the size of the putting surface, knowing that my square footage was already on the smaller size. Second, I wanted to find the grass that looked really good but would hold up to weather conditions. Third, I wanted turf that performed as close to a real putting surface as possible.
The initial visit and consultation took less than an hour, but a lot got done. When Ideal Turf was gone, I went ahead and began preparing the space for installation. The removal of the tree and shrubs needed to include the roots because three inches of the dirt are actually cleared out during the installation process and replaced with a topsoil mix ideal for leveling and drainage.
Ideal Turf was great at communication, with a series of emails leading up to the day of installation. I was assigned a personal Client Liason (shoutout to Samantha) who was with me every step of the way, from the estimate and design agreement to the coordination of scheduling. We were able to get the installation scheduled just over a week from the date I signed my contract.
They then wet the topsoil and then smoothed and rolled it. I decided to not add many undulations to the putting surface since it was a smaller green. I wanted to make sure I had flat 15-foot putts to practice intermediate strokes. The crew was able to work around the Yaupon tree we left behind to add some charm to the green.
Next, the Ace Putt 56 putting turf was rolled out over the entire surface and the digital design was used to measure out and trace the green. Once marked, the green was cut to shape and the border turf was laid to form the edges. The border rough works great with wedges for short pitches and chips. Since the green has been installed, I actually turn and chip back into the heart of my backyard off the border grass for longer short game work.
Maintenance has been a breeze, as a broom and leaf blower is pretty much all you need to keep it looking perfect. The installation itself came with a one-year warranty from Ideal Turf, and a twenty-year product warranty for the turf itself. Check with whoever you decided to use for something similar.
Johnny Newbern writes for GolfWRX from Fort Worth, Texas. His loving wife lets him play more golf than is reasonable and his three-year-old son is a tremendous cart partner. He is a Scotty Cameron loyalist and a lover of links-style courses. He believes Coore/Crenshaw can do no wrong, Gil Hanse is the king of renovations, and hole-in-ones are earned, not given. Johnny holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University.
I used a 15 foot putting carpet in our downstairs all winter, with a knockoff of the puttout ramp, and it was tremendous for my putting stroke. Even though you have the holes, you might want to get one of the puttouts to use on your practice green.
After the gravel and crushed concrete were spread pretty evenly, we went an extra step and rented a compactor from Home Depot to really make sure everything was really packed down, flat and smooth. Then we used pavers, turned on their sides, to create the outline of the putting green. We decided to do a rounded design.
Once all of this prep work was done, we were able to really start putting it all together. We started by adding the stepping stones that will lead from the driveway in front of the workshop to the putting green. We used a tamper to flatten out the gravel where each step would go and then laying the step down.
Next, we laid out all of the bags of sand around all the putting green area (we used 65 bags) and then opened and poured out each bag. We then raked out each of the bags to spread it out and get it as even as possible. Then we used the gas powered compactor again to pack down the sand and get it smooth and leveled out. This step is really important because after this we will lay down the turf and need it to be flat so it is not lumpy looking.
I also helped out by using the tamper around the edges and Ryan took it a step further by using a long level across the whole putting green area. We created a small natural slope in the sand to add a little more difficulty when putting and to help with drainage.
It was then time to do the putting green and turf! We rolled out the putting green area first and got it centered in the area. We used a string with chalk to draw out the rounded curve of the putting green and then used scissors to cut it.
We also added a few extra touches like a pole for a club holder in the gravel and string lights across the putting green. We also set out a little table and a couple of chairs so you can sit and chat while waiting for your turn to put. The finishing touch was the black mulch in the landscaping that goes all around the putting green.
For many avid golfers, building and maintaining a backyard putting green is a dream come true. Successful, satisfying home greens take a lot of planning and care, but that doesn't stop golfers who live to play the game.
Proper location is one of the most important elements of a home putting green. Sun, lay of the land, and air flow work together for optimal putting green health and performance. Choose a site with at least eight hours of direct sun each day and excellent air circulation, away from buildings and landscape plantings that provide too much shade or block air.
Contours of the surrounding landscape are as important as the final contours of the green itself. Avoid locations that lie low, as a well-draining, fast-drying green is essential to stability and performance.
As with lawn grass, putting green grass should suit your region. Creeping bentgrass, a cool-season grass that thrives in northern climates, is widely considered the best for premium putting greens. The finely textured blades allow balls to roll easily, with less resistance, for smooth, fast play. The University of Arkansas recommends Pennington PennCross creeping bentgrass, long favored by golf turf professionals, for backyard putting greens.2 Late summer and early fall are prime times for creeping bentgrass green establishment.3
In hot southern climates, hybrid Bermudagrasses provide good performance for home greens. The stiff, upright leaves allow good ball movement; the ball moves across the cut tips, unimpeded by soft, bending blades. However, Bermudagrass greens usually play slower than bentgrass greens.4 Bermudagrass establishes best during late spring and early summer. Your local county extension office or turf professional can provide information on seeding rates for your area. Local sod producers can also provide guidance on locally-adapted Bermudagrass varieties.
Fertilize your green based on its grass type. The University of Arkansas recommends feeding creeping bentgrass greens four times per year: twice in spring and twice in fall. Feed greens on or around May 1 and June 1, at a rate of 1/2 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per feeding. In fall, fertilize on or around September 15 and November 15, at a rate of 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per feeding.2
Encourage deep, healthy grass roots through deep, infrequent irrigation, as needed. Follow good watering practices, and water in the early morning hours to reduce water loss to evaporation and reduce the risk of disease. Let your green tip you off to when it needs water: When footprints fail to spring back up or grass takes on a blue-purple cast, it's time.
Commercial courses mow greens daily (several times per day during tournaments) to keep them at ultra-low heights.5 Mow your home green four to six times per week to a height of 5/32 to 1/4 inch for optimal conditions.2 Use a reel mower designed specifically for greens; normal lawn mowers can't mow low enough. Greens mowers are available in manual and motorized models.
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