Equipment
Taking the backyard putting green plunge
I’ve wanted a backyard putting green of my own for as long as I can remember. Every time I have moved houses, I’ve looked at each new backyard and wondered where a putting green would fit. It’s fun to dream. And I am pretty sure I am not alone in having that dream, especially amongst our GolfWRX readership full of golf nerds just like me.
I’ve researched it in the past. I’ve gotten bid estimates but never pulled the trigger. Until now. With a three-year-old son growing up, starting to really enjoy the game, it was time to make it happen.
The cost was obviously a big decision point in finding the company I wanted to perform the work. I had several different companies come out for an estimate, and you’d be surprised at the range of bids I received. The area I had picked out is a garden just off my back patio, measuring 7.6 feet x 20.5 feet for a total of approximately 150 square feet. It wouldn’t be huge but big enough for three holes.
The Initial Consult
The other estimates I had received were for this garden as well as potential greens in other areas of the yard, more able to accommodate bigger green sizes, but ultimately I decided that a smaller green just off the porch would get the most use. And it was obviously more affordable. Some companies wouldn’t even entertain the garden area, stating their minimum jobs are $5,000.00 for any given project. That was out of my budget.
A putting green of the size I was hoping for, mind you, measures out to be between $1,500 to $2,600 depending on the turf chosen. Financing is available. That brings me to the most important decision you’ll make when embarking on a backyard putting green journey: choose your installer wisely based on your comfort with the people. Don’t just go with the first people you call. Go with the ones that you feel most comfortable with and who are the most transparent.
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.
With Logan’s help, I felt satisfied that Ideal Turf could deliver on all three items of concern. We started with an hourglass design, but we ended up widening the putting surface at most turns to ensure as large a putting area as possible. The changes were made to the design app in a matter of seconds.
The turf we went with includes UV inhibitors that are added to the fibers to reduce fading from exposure to the sun. With quality turf, drainage isn’t a concern either. Ideal Turf uses a “cascade backing system” that allows for rainwater to drain at 1,500 inches per hour. Puddling apparently won’t be an issue.
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.
Installation Day
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.
The installers were out to my house at 10:30 am on a Thursday and I was rolling putts before sundown. As I mentioned before, they cleared the existing dirt out three inches deep and replaced it with that drainable topsoil. They also marked and capped all existing sprinkler heads in the garden. That was something I didn’t think much about prior to installation day so I was relieved to learn they would be handling it.
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.
Finally, the green is sanded and rolled to level the surface and make sure the turf is laying smooth and flat. Three holes were brought out and I was asked to design their placement myself. I was my own yard’s Gil Hanse for about 25 minutes, walking the entire surface several times with putter in hand, rolling balls, deciding how I would like my own course to be routed. It was a ton of fun. I ended up going with a more Golden Age design.
The holes are traced, cut, and then hammered into the earth. I did appreciate that a bit of extra attention was given to the hole installation so that they fit flat and clean with the turf around them. And that’s really it…the green is ready for play! Ideal Turf provided three pins and flags for the finishing touch. In less than two weeks from consultation to installation and less than eight hours for installation, the process went incredibly smooth.
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.
It’s been several days now and I’ve had time to enjoy the green at different hours of the day. I wake up, walk out with a cup of coffee with just the dog, and enjoy some quiet time before the sun comes up. The kiddo also loves to “practice golf” before bedtime, a delay tactic I’m happy to entertain.
Time will tell how much use the green will get as my son gets older, backyard parties are had, and the shine of a “new toy” begins to wear. But I guess the point of all this is to simply say that a backyard green is possible for all of us. There are good companies out there that aren’t trying to just take all your money. So far, I couldn’t be happier with the decision we made as a family to embark on this putting green adventure. Here’s to many sunken putts ahead.
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Whats in the Bag
Russell Henley WITB 2024 (March)
- Russell Henley WITB accurate as of the Cognizant Classic.
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX
3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S, @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron T5 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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Whats in the Bag
Vince Carter WITB 2024 (March)
- The NBA legend was teeing it up in the Arnold Palmer Invitational Pro-Am.
Driver: Ping G430 Max 10K (9 degrees)
3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees)
7-wood: Ping G430 Max (21 degrees)
Irons: Ping i230 (4-PW)
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (50, 54, 58)
Putter: Ping
Ball: Renegade Mbu
Check out more photos of Vince Carter’s WITB here.
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Equipment
From the Forums: I need more forgiveness in my irons – Looking for recommendations
In our forums, our members have been discussing the most forgiving irons currently on the market. WRXer ‘TheShark1’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons, saying:
“Currently gaming the Mizuno Pro 225’s but think I need more forgiveness in my irons. My well struck shots are real nice, but my mishits are not performing as good as I had hoped anymore. I really like hollow body irons so if I could find something more forgiving in a hollow body iron that would be great.
Open to any and all recommendations other than Ping. Can’t hit Ping irons at all.”
And our members have been sharing their best suggestions in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- AvidSwampThing66: “Another vote for the super forgiving and fast Paradym irons. They look really good for being a GI iron.”
- bobfoster: “I just went from MP20 MMCs to the new 245s in my scoring irons (just played my first round with them today). If you have a chance to try them, you might find them worth a serious look.”
- vman: “Shoot me down, but spend the money on lessons.”
- J_Tizzle: “i525s are great off the heel in my opinion.”
Entire Thread: “From the Forums: I need more forgiveness in my irons – Looking for recommendations”
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Jake
Sep 24, 2021 at 12:12 am
Outstanding write up on the experience. Wondering if you looked into or if anyone has any insight on Celebrity Greens or Southwest Greens and how their quality and pricing is vs what you installed?
Johnny Newbern
Sep 28, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Sorry Jake. I don’t know much about either company. They weren’t on my list.
AZgolf
Oct 2, 2021 at 8:32 pm
I used Southwest greens in my yard years ago. I’m in Phoenix, but they were fantastic, green rolls great and could not be happier.
Rootaford
Sep 16, 2021 at 9:21 pm
What do you do if your dog pee’s on the turf? I’ve heard some nightmare scenarios where dogs pee on the turf and it ends up really stinking up the area.
Barf the Mawg
Sep 16, 2021 at 10:39 pm
Or better yet, when I come over and get 17 beers deep and yak on it.
Johnny Newbern
Sep 17, 2021 at 9:06 am
Hahaha half man, half dog. You’re your own best friend.
We try to keep the dog off of the green for potty time and direct him to the real grass. But if it happens, I was told to just spray it down with a hose as soon as you can.
Adam Hermsdorfer
Sep 15, 2021 at 9:37 am
Solid article. Been thinking about a backyard putting green myself. Nice to hear about the process and the throughness. We’re down the street in Central TX, will definitely lookup Ideal turf.
gticlay
Sep 13, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Looks amazing. I’d love something like that. Another option would be to buy a “portable” (I mean moveable, not like it’s sooo easy to move) one like a large 8’x18′ Birdieball putting green in the extra thick option. Less than half the price, but 1″ hole drop for the ball and gets rave reviews. Plus if you move, it can move with you.
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.
Richard M Scott
Sep 10, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Just wondering what your final cost was?
Johnny Newbern
Sep 10, 2021 at 2:46 pm
The green ended up costing $2,600 based on the turf I chose. I also had to pay a bit more on top of that to a tree removal company for the initial landscaping work to clear the space.
Matt Miller
Sep 10, 2021 at 10:55 am
Johnny, great article. Curious what part of FW are you in. I live near TCU and I’m itching to pull the trigger. Thanks for the Ideal Turf recommendation. My cousin lives in Dallas and had one put in a couple months ago. He was not happy with his contractor but they eventually made it right. Good luck.
Johnny Newbern
Sep 10, 2021 at 12:22 pm
Hey Matt-
Thanks for the note! We are in SW Fort Worth not far from Mira Vista. I think you’ll have a good experience with Ideal Turf.
Joe
Sep 9, 2021 at 6:18 pm
Nicely written! I know just where I’ll put mine one day!!!
Richard Douglas
Sep 9, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Thank you so much. We’re closing on a new house in a couple of weeks and I intend to install a putting green. This article lets one know what to consider when doing it.
Johnny Newbern
Sep 9, 2021 at 4:56 pm
Happy to help, Richard! Good luck with the new home and green!