Golfer's Guide to Artificial Grass

Millions of people play golf. You can start learning when you’re barely old enough to hold a club, or pick up the game later in life. You can treat golf as a relaxing outdoor activity, or as a serious sport. But, the fact is, the more you play – and practice – the better you will get.

With an artificial grass putting green installed at your home, you can practice your short game whenever you want. As much as you want. You can improve your play faster and more conveniently. And – major bonus here – a putting green can improve your home’s aesthetic and monetary value, too. What a score!

If you’re a golfer, here’s what you need to know about artificial grass putting greens.

Improving Your Short Game

This is the primary point of installing a backyard putting green. You need the practice, and you’re a lot more likely to do that when all you have to do is step out the patio door and walk a few steps. No loading your clubs into the car, heading off to the club or local muni course, no parking problems, no greens or ball fees just to get in some practice, no crowds or time limits. You can practice on your own terms, without waiting.

Instead of worrying about logistics, you can focus on developing your skills. And think of all the time and money you’ll save. Now that you think about it, a backyard putting green is a very practical investment. By the time you hit the course for 18 holes with your favorite foursome, you’ll be a better player and you’ll enjoy the play more.

But there’s more to staying on top of your short game than honing your putting prowess. Truth be told, our approach shots don’t always land squarely on the green within striking distance of the hole, do they? Even the pros sometimes wind up on the fringe or, oops, in the sand. That’s why you need to practice your chipping, too. You can do that at home as well, by surrounding your putting green with an apron. Fringe adds visual realism and expands your realistic practice opportunities.

Add a sand trap to your putting green, and you can finally make friends with that wedge. You may still find yourself in a trap out on the course, but you’ll no longer be intimated by that lie.   

An at-home putting green can even help you improve your long game. Just add a tee box, and you’re all set to practice your swing with any driver or iron.

Who knew a backyard personal putting green could do so much for you? Your score will be dropping like a rock.

Get the Green of Your Dreams

All the reasons you love golf are sound reasons to install your own private putting green. But there are even more reasons – and having your own green is well within reach. Many homeowners still think of this as an unattainable luxury, but that’s no longer true, thanks to the benefits of modern synthetic turf.

With professionally-installed, golf-quality artificial grass, you can skip all the endless, expensive upkeep associated with natural grass greens.

Not only can you save time and money you’d spend on getting to the course just to get in some practice, you’ll save even more on maintaining your backyard putting green. And, lest someone suggest this is a somewhat selfish investment, consider the fact that adding a putting green to your backyard offers benefits that appeal to everyone.

It is a lovely landscaping element that will beautify your property. You can get in more outdoor time at home with the family – and even teach the kids to putt and chip. A putting green is an asset you can enjoy now that adds long-term value to your home, so it pays for itself in more ways than one.

There’s a putting green to fit your yard and lifestyle. From a basic green to a unique custom design with all the trimmings, any size, shape or terrain, designed for casual use or getting down to serious business, a putting green is an investment in your game and your home.

You could practice putting on your lawn, but . . .

If you’ve already installed an artificial grass lawn at your home, you already know the myriad aesthetic and functional benefits. And, theoretically, you could use that grass to putt around. But that’s not the most workable idea. First of all, your kids and pets need someplace to play during the summer and on into other seasons as well. It’s not fair to them if you take away their grassy play space.

Second, we’re not talking whiffle ball here. Even if you’re just a casual player, putting practice requires a dedicated space with golf-style grass. If you’re truly intense about the game, top-of-the-line realism is essential. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, Heavenly Greens has a golf-perfect grass made just for you. Because you can’t improve unless you’re practicing on the real thing.

With pro-quality grass and pro-style amenities, you have the tools to sharpen your skills. With a putting green at home, you can do that without distractions. You can squeeze in a few minutes or set aside serious time for serious practice. Your putting green will offer realistic ball roll and ball control – the lies, the speeds, the angles and breaks you find on a top-class golf course.

It Sure Looks Pretty, Doesn’t It?

Even people who don’t play the game love to live alongside a beautifully maintained golf course. It’s lusciously green and gorgeous, dotted with colorful flower beds and trees — like an enormous extension of their own yard. It looks lovely all the time, and someone else does all the work!

When you install a putting green in your own backyard, you create that same scene – though usually on a smaller scale. As a landscape element, your green can be the focal point, it can serve as a nearby companion to your pool or patio, or it can be an entirely separate space. It’s so classy and inviting, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this a long time ago. 

Just thinking about it get you excited about the possibilities, we know. (We work with artificial grass putting greens all the time, and we still get excited about each new one!) There are so many options, it can feel overwhelming – where to start? There’s nothing more inspiring than checking out designs other golfers have created for their homes. These four very different examples show what you can accomplish, even in the face of design or budget challenges.

An at-home putting green can be whatever you want. Just like full-scale country club courses, every installation is uniquely designed to fit the terrain and other criteria. So even a small or oddly-shaped space can accommodate a pretty, practical green. Beyond knowing your limits in size and shape, here are the things you will specifically want to consider as you begin to design your own personalized green:

• The skills you want to practice (putting, chipping, bunker escapes, driving)
• The level of difficulty that will continue to challenge you (long putts or chips, terrain variations, etc.)
• The type of golf turf that matches your style (our Heavenly Greens experts can advise you here)
• What practical features you want to include besides the green itself (apron or tee box, multiple holes, etc.)

Think about what dressy amenities you want to include, too. These may not affect the physical design of your putting green, but they can add even more realism plus some serious fun and the ultimate in personalization. We’re talking about a shady bench (or maybe just a cushy chair and side table) for green-side contemplation, a sign such as “Joe’s Hole-in-One,” even a ball washer or towel holder.

What Does It Take to Install a Putting Green?

Entertaining as it is to contemplate how your putting green will look, there are practical factors involved in creating a home putting green. It’s a step-by-step process that goes like this:

• Formal completion of design plan
• Site preparation
• Artificial grass installation

But call us first. Our Heavenly Greens golf green experts are here for you every step of the way, from design input through professional installation.

At this point, you’re probably wondering about the cost. Generally speaking, your artificial golf green project will likely run between $18 and $25 per square foot. Not surprisingly, there are multiple factors that affect your final cost. Those include:

• The size and style of the green
• Difficulty of site preparation
• The specific artificial turf you choose

We’ve mentioned a couple of times that there are options when it comes to artificial grass for golfers. Not all golfers are created equal, so why should everyone’s turf be the same? If you’re looking for a nice amenity and asset to buff up your landscape as well as your short game and provide an activity for the whole family, you may not care about extreme precision. You want a realistic experience, but one that’s in line with your skill and interest level.

On the other hand, if you are a highly committed and skilled golfer, factors such as ball control and speed do matter to you. They are critical. And that’s why there are different styles of turf for putting greens. They differ in blade size and shape as well as the infill we use to keep the blades upright and performing to spec. if you’re planning an apron for your green, we’ll outfit you with artificial grass that mimics the real thing used for fringe, with taller, straighter blades.

Maintaining Your Backyard Golf Course

Natural grass golf courses require endless, meticulous maintenance to retain their performance characteristics – the reason courses employ sizeable full-time maintenance crews. And own fleets of mowers, blowers, sprayers, etc. Artificial grass is golfer-friendly when it comes to management and maintenance because there just isn’t a lot to do.

The simple fact that you don’t have to maintain a pristine natural grass environment is the primary reason home putting greens have skyrocketed in popularity. That, and the advent of exceptionally realistic and specialized artificial turf options. You get savings and affordability, with quality that won’t let you down. Instead of devoting hours to the kind of major spring clean-up that would be required to reactivate natural grass for a new year, you can enjoy your artificial golf green virtually year round.

Nonetheless, as famous as artificial grass is for its minimal maintenance requirements, that doesn’t mean you can just ignore your putting green installation and assume it will continue performing to spec. After all, every major asset around your home needs a little attention now and then. And for your putting green, “little” is definitely the operative word.

Just as you do for your artificial grass lawn, you’ll want to pick up any leaves or other debris that blow in, and use a hose to rinse away dust when it’s dry and windy outdoors. You may want to periodically roll your green, to keep your ball rolling fast and true. Oh, and you’ll want to keep your sand trap(s) debris-free and freshly raked as well.

Every Great Green Deserves a Professional Refresher

The simple tasks noted above can help your putting green perform beautifully for many years to come. While you’re doing these things, take a close look to see if there any problems developing. Fixing tiny issues right away prevents them from escalating into something more problematic and costly to correct. Look for weeds that might crop up along the edge of the turf, or any spots where the edge or a corner may be coming loose.

Give us a call if there’s a problem, and we can schedule an appointment with our Heavenly Greens repair team. You can also schedule regular professional tune-ups for your putting green. We recommend doing this semi-annually to ensure your installation remains in pristine condition and extend its life. Our Platinum Putting Green Tune-Up includes everything from infill and surface inspection and refresh to top coating, power brushing, and a final Stimpmeter reading.

And if your putting green is showing signs of moss (especially if it’s in a very shady location), we have a maintenance package that addresses that as well.

Artificial Grass Is a Game-Changer for Golfers

A home putting green has “high value amenity” written all over it. It is an investment that can change virtually everything for the better. The aesthetics of your landscaping. The quality of your outdoor living.

The financial value of your property. And, of course, your golf game.

Having to leave home to get in some practice wastes time and money. When you have a putting green literally right outside the door and all you have to do is pick up a club, we’re pretty sure you’ll practice a lot more. Your short game will be looking sharper than ever. Just wait till the next time your golfing buddies see you in action. They’ll be inviting themselves over as soon as learn your secret.

We can install artificial grass any time of year, so now is the time to start designing your new backyard golf course.