Which Putting Green Turf Is Right For Your Backyard

If you’re old enough, you may remember an old advertising slogan that said, “Better living through chemistry.” It’s unlikely that anyone at the time associated that slogan with artificial grass. And yet, today, advances in chemistry and technology have transformed the old, original AstroTurf into a panoply of beautifully realistic synthetic turf products, specifically formulated for different uses. 

One result? Rising popularity of backyard putting greens. With artificial grass, you can design a home putting green of any size or shape or terrain (even sand traps).

Choose the turf that matches your play

In today’s marketplace, polyethylene is the material of choice for lawns and similar landscaping installations where “barefoot feel” is as important as luscious emerald color. You can actually get artificial grass for your home that looks like the natural lawn grass most common to your area. You can’t get much more realistic than that.

But artificial grass that is ideal as a play surface for your kids and/or dog is hardly an ideal play surface for golf. Putting greens have a different “cut” that gives consistent ball roll. And for that, you need an entirely different type of artificial grass. Some artificial turf is made from nylon. However, here at Heavenly Greens we use that only in certain situations and never for putting greens. The best products for that are made from polyethylene or polypropylene.

Not all golfers are alike

We know that our customers care about price, but they also care about performance. That’s why we offer more than one style of artificial grass for backyard putting greens, although all of them are superior quality products. For example:

• Standard Putting Green (SPG) is designed for casual golfers of all ages. It has short blades made of polypropylene and a light sand infill, so it plays slower. It’s affordable, easier to install, and doesn’t require rolling. It’s also a great choice for backyard bocce. Or croquet courts (complete with under-turf connectors for posts and wickets).
• Professional Putting Green (PPG) – is designed for avid golfers. It’s made from polyethylene, –taller and faster with a sand/rubber infill ­– so it’s more realistic. Installed stimp speed is usually 9 or 9.5, but you can roll it to about 12. This artificial putting green surface provides consistent chipping performance up to 120 yards. Needless to say, this variety costs more than SPG.

But why install only a putting green, when you can have a more inclusive set-up that will really give your backyard that “country club” look? We’re talking about:

• Versa Lush (Tour Fringe) – tightly tufted to look and perform like fringe or fairway grass. You can practice chip shots as well as putting, and the fringe beautifully frames your green.
• Tee Line – designed to hold tees up to 3” tall, so you can practice your full swing, too.

Now that you know your artificial grass options, are you ready to plan your home putting green? Of course you are! Our downloadable design guide is a great way to get started.